Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia Season 2
by J.A.Phillips
Summary: An ancient realm tied to the natural elements of the world is in peril, and only six college students can save it before the evil threatening it can attack Earth. They are the Guardians of Gaia! Mostly OCs, though the first few chapters have returning characters. Rated T for fantasy violence, mild language, and suggestive themes.
1. Always A Ranger Part 1

**_DISCLAIMER:_ I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

 **For Emmybomber, N. Harmonik, PinkRangerWannabe, DorkynProudofIt, and each and every other person who has ever supported me in the creation of this story. Also, special thanks for the creation of the new logo by Bilico86.**

* * *

 _Unknown to most on Earth, there exists a hidden, alternate world called Gaia that rests in another dimension. It is the source of a great mystical energy tied to the natural elements of the world, like fire, water, and wind, each having whole territories devoted to each. It is a safe haven for peace-seeking folk, be they humans, animals, or other forms of life...Or, at least it was. One day, thousands of years ago, a power-hungry man named Dradarius took over the dark zones, believing that darkness should consume all other elements, and began a brutal and ruthless campaign to take over all of Gaia. Fortunately, there existed a group of Guardians that protected Gaia from the dark, using a powerful silver light that caused the darkness to withdraw before it. No force of evil could match it. But when the time came for the final battle, the light vanished, and the Guardians similarly disappeared into the spreading dark._

 _Millennia later, new Guardians appeared from Earth, having obtained the crystals after they were passed down through family lines started by the original Guardians. Over time, they learned to master their powers to such a degree that they were able to defeat Walker and Darkea, overseers of Dradarius' dark forces. But just when they had achieved their greatest victory, when it seemed nothing could defeat them, Dradarius himself appeared before the team and forcibly teleported them back to Earth, where they could do nothing to stop him. Now, Gaia has once again been left without Guardians, as Dradarius seeks to begin his take-over anew. If the new Guardians cannot return to Gaia, I fear that Gaia may yet fall to shadow..._

* * *

In the dark, almost pitch-black fog filling the Dark Zone, a haven for creatures spawned from the darkness in Gaia, a lone Magma Naga slithered as fast as he could across the stone ground beneath him, guiding a group of Gnomes, Centaurs, Dark Elves, and Dwarves to where he hoped he'd eventually find safety. However, in the distance, the sounds of roars, screams, and small explosions made him all the more aware of how unlikely it was that they'd find sanctuary anywhere here.

After seeing the Guardians of Gaia disappear through the magical machinations of Dradarius, Infernios had gathered as many of the forces that had invaded the Dark Zone as he could find and tried to lead them out to the safety of light. However, it seemed the Usurper of the Dark Throne had decided to sic what forces were left in the Dark Zone on the fleeing warriors, and it was clear to Infernios that their numbers had been cut down dramatically.

"Move, everyone!" Infernios yelled as a few of his allies started to stumble and slow. "We have to keep moving, or they'll catch up to us!"

"We don't even know which way we're going!" a brown bearded Dwarf retorted, huffing as he tried to keep up. "Everything looks the same in this place! We could be going deeper in for all we know!"

"It's either run, or stay still!" Infernios reasoned. "It's your choice if you-!"

"Look out!" the Dwarf suddenly shouted, pointing over Infernios' side. The Magma Naga turned just in time to duck under a dark claw as it swung for him. He quickly disposed of his attacker with a breath of flames, but within seconds, the group found themselves under siege by a horde of Blots. Everyone quickly went into action, axes and hammers and staffs at the ready and beating down Blots as they came, but they were simply too numerous, and the allied forces were exhausted. Pretty soon, even Infernios felt fatigue set in, as he picked up a Blot and hurled it into a group of them, only to get caught from behind with several nail blasts. He fell to the ground, feeling the dark claws stuck in his back, and looked up weakly as more Blots converged on him, ready to end him.

* * *

"No, no no no no, no," Madilyn muttered, rubbing her temples as the others, save for the blind Patrick, looked upon the city that stood just downhill from them. "This CAN'T be happening, not NOW!"

"We need to get back!" Drayden exclaimed. "If Dradarius is serious about taking over Gaia his own way, they're all in the worst danger they've ever faced!"

Everyone nodded, though Layla had her arms crossed, looking less sure. "Yeah, but...how do we even get back?"

"Well, the last time we got sent to Gaia was when the five main crystals were brought together," Nikki suggested, pulling out hers. "Maybe bringing all six together will reopen the portal?"

"That seems like a long shot, but I guess it's the best idea we've got to go on for now," Layla admitted. With that, the six stood together in a circle, as one by one, they each brought out their crystals and held them out, touching together...except for Madilyn who blushed madly as she watched, her eye twitching as the others looked to her.

"...Uh, Madilyn?" Dirk asked. "You wanna maybe bring your crystal out?"

"I, uh..." Madilyn whimpered, looking increasingly embarrassed as she reached down to her hip, revealing that her Crystal Blast Morpher was gone.

Layla blinked, confused. "...Sis? Where's your Morpher?"

"I'M SORRY!" Madilyn suddenly yelled, surprising the team. "I just...I didn't know what was gonna happen! Dradarius totally had us at his mercy! For all I knew, he was about to destroy us, and then there'd never be Guardians of Gaia ever again! So... ... ...Well, just before it happened, I kinda tossed my Morpher, and the crystal with it..."

"MAD!" Patrick exclaimed, glaring in her general direction. "Well, great going! Now we're down a crystal, and who knows what happened to it?!"

Madilyn fidgeted a little, looking down at the ground. "Um, well, that's the thing. See, since I couldn't risk Gaia being left without Rangers, I kinda maybe tossed the Morpher to the closest person there..."

As these words left Madilyn's lips, Layla could feel the colour drain from her own face as realization hit her. "...Sis? Who did you give your Morpher to?"

* * *

"Infernios, look out!" a Centaur roared as a few Blots ran in to strike the fallen Magma Naga.

Before the Blots could reach Infernios, though, they were shot down by a series of violet laser blasts. Blinking in surprise, Infernios looked to the source of the blasts, and couldn't believe his eyes: There, standing atop a rock formation, was the Violet Gaia Ranger, her Crystal Blast Morpher drawn, albeit shakily. She quickly unloaded more blasts on the remaining Blots attacking the allied forces, giving just enough of an opening for them to regroup and gain the advantage. A few quick slashes and jabs later, and the Blots were down and dissolving into black mist.

With a sigh, the Violet Ranger hopped down to Infernios and offered a hand. "That was close. Are you alright?"

"I'll live..." Infernios groaned, slowly getting back up. "How are you here? I saw you and the other Guardians disappear!"

The Violet Ranger looked away for a moment, but eventually reached up and pulled her helmet off, revealing a very familiar teal-haired dryad's face, much to Infernios' surprise. "...Y-You! How?!"

"It all happened so fast..." Faye replied, rubbing her arm. "Just before Dradarius...before he did whatever he did, Madilyn threw her Morpher to me. I didn't know what else to do, so...I grabbed the Morpher and ran. I knew what she was trying to do, to keep at least one Guardian in Gaia. If Dradarius caught me..."

Infernios nodded, understanding, and placed a hand on Faye's shoulder. "...There was nothing you could've done for them."

Faye shook her head, her eyes tearing up. "No. They're alive. I know it. If Layla were really gone...I'd know."

"Be that as it may, we need to escape this place!" a Dark Elf interrupted, clutching his arm where he'd been clawed earlier.

"I've been escorting groups to the edge of the Dark Zone," Faye responded with a nod before turning back to Infernios. "It's actually not far from here. You were right to lead them this way."

"Once we're out of the Dark Zone, Jowar should be able to detect and teleport us to safety," Infernios noted, looking back to his allies. "Once we're out, we can regroup, and figure out what to do next."

Faye nodded, putting her helmet back on and readying her blaster, just in case more Blots showed up. She quickly led the others along the route out of the Dark Zone, keeping an eye out for more attackers as they went, all the while wishing she could feel Layla's hand in hers.

 _Layla..._ Faye thought as she and the allies ran for safety. _I hope wherever you are, it's a safer place than this at least._

* * *

"YOU GAVE YOUR MORPHER TO MY GIRLFRIEND?!" Layla screamed as she shook her older sister by her collar with strength never before seen by her friends. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"It was instinct!" Madilyn defended. "She was the closest one there! Well, the closest one that wasn't trying to kill us, anyway!"

"Yeah, and now Dradarius is gonna try to kill HER!" Layla cried, her eyes filled with rage, until Nikki stepped in and wrestled her off of Madilyn.

"Okay, Layla, enough!" Nikki shouted. "Look, I don't necessarily agree with what Madilyn did, but-"

"She's all alone there!" Layla yelled. "She's a lone Ranger against an entire army, and she doesn't even know how to use her powers!"

"Neither did the rest of us," Nikki reasoned. "She'll figure it out. And anyway, she's not alone. Jowar, Infernios, and Professor Snyder are all there to look out for her."

"Well, we STILL need to get back," Patrick pointed out. "Even with all that said, I don't like their odds."

"...Hey, guys?" Drayden asked, taking a small sniff of the air. "Do you smell something...odd in the air?"

Dirk cocked his eyebrow, looking baffled. "Odd like...?"

"Smells like..." Drayden started to reply before his eyes widened. "Darkness!"

"...Okay, I'll bite," Patrick muttered. "You can SMELL darkness?"

Drayden nodded before looking back to the city. "When Dargoon fused with me, his ability to read darkness through his various senses got passed down to me. Think of it like your wind reading, only it's attuned to your every sense."

Dirk's shoulders slumped at this revelation. "...So, basically, Dargoon did everything within his power to make you the Riku to his Ansem?"

"Very funny," Drayden grumbled. "Anyway, my senses might not be as as well attuned to darkness as they were in Gaia, but I can definitely smell darkness coming from that city."

"We should check it out," Nikki replied. "It's better than standing around here. Let's go!"

The others nodded, following her down the hill toward the city. Within a few minutes, the team were walking along a sidewalk that ran alongside one of the main roads in the city. And yet, as even Patrick could tell, there didn't seem to be a single person in the streets today, be it on foot or in cars. On top of that, a lot of the buildings seemed to have their blinds let down, and in some cases, they were even boarded over.

"...Okay, this is creeping me out," Layla admitted. "What happened here?"

"I dunno, maybe the zombie apocalypse happened while we were gone?" Madilyn suggested. "Or the city had to be evacuated because of some natural disaster?"

"What kind of disaster doesn't leave a so much as a scratch in its wake?" Nikki pointed out, as sure enough, there wasn't the slightest sign of damage to the city anywhere.

"Maybe everyone was bamf'd out?" Drayden guessed, causing Dirk to look at him like he'd grown a second head. "...What?"

"A Nightcrawler reference?" Dirk asked. "You had a massive brooding phase as a kid, didn't you?"

"Kinda," Drayden acknowledged with a shrug. "To be honest, being the Guardian of Darkness shouldn't have been a surprise in the long run."

Nikki rolled her eyes before looking over to Patrick, who had to be guided along the sidewalk by Madilyn. "How are you holding up?"

"Not so great," Patrick replied. "Without my wind sense, I'm completely blind."

"Didn't you train with blindfolds before that, though?" Mad inquired.

"Yeah, for fighting with a sword," Pat answered. "Not so much with just walking down the street."

"Actually, we're on a sidewalk," Madilyn corrected him, causing him to groan slightly. "And anyway, for once, I'm just glad that we're not having to-"

Before Madilyn could finish her sentence, though, the team heard a loud gurgling echo through the streets. Within moments, a series of familiar-looking shadowy figures emerged from the shadows of the buildings and the cracks of the sidewalks, forming a pack of at least thirty red-eyed monstrosities that readied their claws threateningly before the team.

"...fight," Madilyn finished, looking depressed.

"Blots?!" Dirk demanded as the team formed up. "On Earth?! How?!"

"We'll figure it out later!" Nikki yelled, pulling her crystal free of its chain. "It's Morphin Time!"

Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Drayden all nodded, pulling their own crystals free as the five set them in their respective Morphers, all while Madilyn stood off to the side. " _ **Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_ " the five called, their Morphers aimed at the Blots as they shot out rainbow coloured blasts...only for them to fizzle out before they made contact.

"...Oh, that's not good," Madilyn observed.

"Our connection's too weak!" Layla realized. "We can't morph!"

"Then we'll just have to take 'em the old fashioned way!" Nikki insisted as the Blots charged them. "Let's go!"

With that, the six rushed the charging Blots, immediately taking on smaller groups each. Nikki found herself dropkicking one Blot square in the chest before springing off and catching two more in the eyes with her heels, causing them both to evaporate. Landing on her front, she spun her legs around, tripping up another pair of Blots before getting back to her feet. She then threw a leaping roundhouse that took out yet another Blot, then followed this up by blasting the three she'd knocked down with her Morpher.

"Well, at least THIS still works a little!" Layla noted, weaving between Blots and blasting them down to the ground. "How are you holding up, sis?!"

"Oh, just peachy!" Madilyn yelled, ducking slashes and kicking Blots down wherever possible, blasting them in the eyes when she got the chance. "I really, REALLY miss my daggers right now!"

Patrick chose to ignore this, trying his best to focus his senses on the Blots. Just barely managing to catch one's wrist as it tried to slash him, he swung his feet up, catching another Blot in the face, and proceeded to kick from one Blot to the next and to the next before he landed and tossed the one he was holding over his shoulder. Just as it started to get back up, though, another Blot was body slammed down onto it by Dirk, who then charged at another and caught it shoulder-first in the gut. He then picked it up in a fireman's carry, spinning it around.

"Patrick, up high!" Dirk yelled, tossing the Blot off his shoulders. Patrick nodded, springing up and catching the Blot across the eyes with his shin. The two then stood back to back as more Blots started to swarm them, emptying out of nearby alleyways. "So, you wanna take the couple dozen on the left?"

Before Patrick could retort, a primal yell from Drayden rang out as he ran in, cleaving Blots down with the Dragon Buster. "C'mon! We gotta bring these guys down!"

"They just keep coming!" Layla called, just before getting caught in the gut by a Blot's elbow and backhanded to the ground.

"SIS!" Madilyn yelled, charging and tackling the Blot down, only to get clobbered in the back by two more.

"We've gotta regroup!" Nikki shouted, kicking down another Blot. "Everybody! Let's-"

Just as Nikki was about to order a retreat, however, a single figure in black jeans and a tank-top leaped in, kicking a Blot with so much force that it tumbled into six more before coming to a stop in the middle of the road. Nikki blinked in shock at the newcomer: An Asian man in his late-30s, staring down the Blots with a determination the likes of which she'd never seen. The Blots quickly started to group up, preparing to fight him.

"Whoever you are, you better get outta here!" Nikki advised. "There's too many!"

The man simply smirked, reaching into his pocket as he muttered "Not for long." To Nikki's amazement, the man pulled out a very familiar-looking silver and red buckler with a gold coin in the centre, emblazoned with the image of a mastodon. Before the Blots could advance, he thrust it forward and yelled " **It's Morphin Time! Mastodon!** " A burst of energy ripped out from the device, coating his body in a black and white costume before placing itself on a white belt, a black helmet appearing over the man's head.

"...The Black Ranger," Nikki whispered in awe. "The original."

"Actually, I'm the second, but who's counting, right?" Adam Park, the Black Mighty Morphin Ranger, snarked. He then turned his attention back to the Blots, who dashed at him with claws ready. The Black Ranger then leaped in and began systematically taking them down one by one, able to weave between their attacks and level them with one hit each, all while the other Rangers managed to regroup, most watching with slacked jaws.

"...Okay, our smackdown was good, but his was WAY better," Dirk admitted as Adam hurled a Blot across the road.

"Is he even trying at this point?" Madilyn asked, the team ducking as a Blot was kicked overhead.

"Okay, I can't really tell what's going on that well, but shouldn't we help him?" Patrick wondered aloud.

"...Honestly, I think THEY'RE the ones who need the help right now," Layla observed as the Blots, now down to a couple dozen, decided to run for it, vanishing into the shadows.

"Power down!" Adam said with a sigh, demorphing as he turned back to the others. "...So, you must be the new guys. Although, it looks like you're not exactly working at your best."

Nikki blushed a little, rubbing the back of her neck as the team stepped forward. "You're not exactly catching us at our best. I'm Nikki, the Red Gaia Ranger. This is Patrick, Layla, Dirk, Madilyn, and Drayden."

Adam nodded with a friendly smile. "Adam Park, Mighty Morphin. I don't suppose you can explain why a whole city's been overrun by those things?"

"It's kind of a long story, and I'm not even 100% sure I understand it myself," Nikki admitted.

"Well, I've got a safe house set up," Adam replied, pointing off in the distance. "You can tell me on the way there."

Nikki nodded, looking to her friends. "Let's go, guys."

With that, the seven made their way down the road, all the while Drayden muttered "I could've taken them out with my thumb, and they know it..."

* * *

Dradarius' eyes narrowed as he floated down from the massive sky whale that brought him from the Dark Zone to his base of operations, Abyssial Fortress. Shortly after he'd laid his claim to the Dark Throne, he had it moved to this castle, which was far more menacing looking, more heavily guarded, and deep in the thickest of all the Dark Zones in Gaia. He'd even managed to expand the Zone a bit by taking over the neighboring lands and covering them in darkness.

 _Soon,_ Dradarius thought, _this castle will mark the capital of all Gaia, after I've converted the rest of the world to my liking, and will be the staging point from which I'll plan the invasion of Earth._

After a few moments, the Usurper of the Dark Throne touched down onto the floor of his throne room, where he was greeted by his closest of allies: The Dark Generals. To his left was a rather large Dwarf wearing dark, spiky armour and holding a deadly-looking ax. To his right was a gray-winged Angel in silver and black armour, holding a bow with bladed ends. The two quickly bowed to their Emperor's presence, though he barely gave either of them notice for this, instead walking up to his throne and taking a seat.

"Ark, what is the status of the remaining Dark Zones under my direct control?" Dradarius asked of the Angel.

"All of your generals have gathered their contingent of Blots and are awaiting your orders," Ark replied. "I've also seen to it that Walker's Ebony Venom has been given to them to replicate. Soon, our forces will be more powerful than ever."

"So glad to see he wasn't a COMPLETE failure, then," Dradarius scoffed. "After all the work I put into him, I expected more. Spine, what of the Lightless?"

"I'm afraid the statues in his care were lost, my Emperor," the dark armoured Dwarf answered. "However, per your instructions, I've had new, more powerful Lightless crafted. I'm also looking into finding a way to reduce the Ebony Venom's vulnerability to light."

"Good," Dradarius muttered. "With his new Guardians dealt with, Jowar is likely to find a way to engage us directly, and as much of an old fool as he is, he nonetheless has our greatest weakness on his side."

"The former wizard is of no consequence," a female voice echoed through the throne room before a Blot-like figure emerged from the shadows cast behind the throne. Unlike Blots, though, she had a far more humanoid face with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. She had lime green lines running across her body, and long, hair-like tendrils running down from the top of her head past her hips.

Dradarius' nostrils flared at the sight of this figure, who sauntered around to the front of the throne. "...Shroud. I thought I asked you to inform me when you'd be coming from now on?"

"What's the point of being able to appear where I please if I can't surprise you, my dear?" the creature, Shroud, replied with a sly smirk. "Regardless, old Jowar will not be a problem. He'll die trying to stop our army, and when he's gone, they'll be no one left to oppose our rule."

"Know your place, Shroud!" Ark roared, drawing an arrow and aiming it at the figure before him. "You are a servant to the Emperor, and you will address him appropriately!"

"And what would a fallen Angel know of being proper to authority?" Shroud teased as long, deadly claws drew outward.

"Enough, both of you," Dradarius groaned, unamused. "Ark, you know Shroud is a special case. And Shroud, do not antagonize my generals. I need my allies to all be on the same page."

"Of course, of course," Shroud replied, waving her hands as her claws retracted. "Wouldn't want to make things difficult for you, after all."

"Hmph," Ark harrumphed, lowering his bow. "In any case, Jowar should be dealt with first, and quickly, before he can prepare himself."

"Had we known of his survival sooner, we could've done something about him long beforehand," Spine growled. "Clearly, leaving the operation up to children was a mistake."

Dradarius rested his chin on a fist, looking at a large map of Gaia placed in the room. "Yes. If they survived their little tumble off the cliff, I'll have to have a word with them. Regardless, it's time we dealt with the last of the wizards, as well as his allies, and leave our dominion of Gaia uncontested."

The others all turned to the map as well. With an evil grin, Ark raised his bow once again and fired an arrow at the spot where Everbright was. The arrow struck, and quickly, that section of the map started to rot and decay, before crumbling into black ashes on the floor.

* * *

Faye sighed sadly as she looked over the wounded allies being treated by her Dryad kin. Having managed to evacuate those she could out of the Dark Zone, Jowar was able to teleport them all back to the Ancient Library, using some of the old training rooms as make-shift emergency rooms. Infernios, in particular, was undergoing the painful process of having Blot nails removed from his back. Luckily, as the Dryads were quick to learn, exposing a Magma Naga's body to heat allowed them to heal from injuries quicker.

"...Faye?" she heard a friendly old voice ask, turning to face Jowar as he entered the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Jowar, it's just..." Faye started to say before looking back at the wounded. "...Less than half of us made it back. The rest are either still trapped in the Dark Zone somewhere, or worse."

Jowar sighed, stroking his beard. "I know...But it's largely thanks to you that we managed to save this many."

"I just wish the others were here," Faye muttered dismissively, turning and exiting the room.

Jowar turned to face her as she left. "...Faye."

Faye stopped, hearing the subtle sternness in the old wizard's voice, letting him continue. "...Dradarius is to blame for the fallen, not you. I will do what I can to help you, but as you know, my powers are limited. For now, you must do what you can. That's all anyone can reasonably ask of you."

Thinking it over for a moment, Faye simply nodded before continuing on her way. _I know, Jowar. I just wish my best allowed me to pull the weight of the others._

* * *

Feeling the waking world start to rush back to him, Walker's eyes slowly opened, scanning the dark cavern. From the sound of the crashing water nearby, it was clear he was near a waterfall, meaning he was somewhere outside of the Dark Zone. And yet, despite this, his nose was able to take in the all-too-familiar scent of darkness in the area. At first, he thought it meant there were Blots around, but he quickly corrected himself as he realized where it was coming from.

 _...Me,_ he thought. _Despite the Rangers' best efforts, it seems I still have plenty of darkness inside of me. I wonder if it's some trace elements of the Ebony Venom, or..._

Deciding to try and get up, Walker groaned as he felt his body was throb with pain. "Tch...Right. Pain. Almost forgot."

"And that's why I should've tied you down when I brought you here," a familiar voice declared, just before Darkea entered Walker's area of the cavern. "I KNEW it'd be the first thing you'd forget."

"How'd we get here?" Walker inquired as Darkea walked over to a large stone and sat on it. "The last thing I remember is...falling off the side of a cliff."

"Lucky for us, there was a river that flowed into a lake outside of the Dark Zone," Darkea explained. "After that, I found this cave. Seemed like a good place to hide out, at least for now."

"What do you suppose happened to the Rangers?" Walker asked, surprising his sister. "Do you think they survived, or...?"

"I don't know," Darkea replied, resting her chin on folded hands. "Still, that's a bit odd of you to worry about them."

Walker scoffed, turning away. "I merely wonder if we only have your father to worry about now, or if we're now having to hide from him AND the Rangers."

"Good point," Darkea noted, looking down the cavern halls. "Though... ... ...they DID try to save us. No one asked them to, they just DID."

"If you're planning to run to the old man's library and beg for them to let you into their band for protection, by all means, go ahead," Walker muttered.

Darkea shrugged. "I could...but then, who would stay here and make YOUR life miserable?"

"Tch, you're unbearably sentimental," Walker replied with a smirk.

"Besides, I don't want to inflate Patrick's head, thinking he reformed me or some foolishness like that," Darkea went on, causing her brother to turn back to face her with a curious glance. "...What?"

"Just wondering when you started caring about what the Green Ranger thought of you," Walker teased.

Darkea's face turned slightly pink at this, her eyes widening in shock. "I don't care! I just...don't want to have to hear about it, is all!"

Walker rolled his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. "Whatever. In any case, I assume they've survived. Our sworn enemies wouldn't go down so easily. We'll finish our business with them after your father is dealt with."

"You're REALLY planning on fighting the Emperor of the Dark Realm?" Darkea inquired, looking over her heavily damaged sickle. "We're not exactly in any condition to fight anyone, least of all the top of the food chain."

"Presently, no," Walker admitted, folding his arms behind his head, "but we'll recover. We always have. In any event, we have no choice. We either fight, or let him roll over us. And personally, I feel a certain obligation to repay him for casting us aside so easily..."

* * *

"Alternate universe, huh?" Adam asked as the team continued along their way through the city. "Well, not the weirdest story I've ever heard. And those...Blots?"

"If the events on one world really do affect the other, then the Blots passing through to Earth isn't a good sign of how things are on Gaia," Layla observed, rubbing her arm. "Oh, I hope Faye's doing alright..."

"I'm sure she's doing just fine," Patrick encouraged. "Unlike us, she actually HAS powers right now."

"We're here," Adam stated as the group came to a large warehouse. Opening the steel doors of the loading dock, he led everyone inside, where they found a number of people huddled about, looking a bit scared and disheveled.

"City's inhabitants?" Nikki asked, getting a nod from Adam. "What happened?"

"I got here just after it happened," Adam explained, leading the team through the large room of people. "The Blots came in and overran the city. The police couldn't stop them, and the military's still licking its wounds from the invasion, so-"

"Whoa, INVASION?" Dirk inquired, confused.

Adam scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah...You guys have missed a lot. Earth was invaded by an intergalactic Armada. There was a team of Rangers that managed to beat them back, but the overall forces were so large that it took every last Power Ranger to finally stop them."

"Aw man, and we missed it?!" Madilyn whined, getting odd looks. "...What? I wanted to fight alongside the other Power Rangers too!"

"Point is, we were still working to get past that, and when this happened, most of us were caught off-guard," Adam continued as the group made their way to a door labelled 'Front Office'. "Fortunately, after the war, a few of us veteran Rangers decided to stay in contact in case anything like this should happen again."

Opening the door, the group of seven walked in to find that the front office of the warehouse had been converted into a command center. Standing at different stations were an Asian man in a military-like blue uniform with a red beret, a blonde woman in a blue and black ninja-esque outfit, a brunette in a yellow hoodie and blue jeans, a somewhat shaggy man with brown hair in a purple and black gi, a young woman with dark hair in a white lab coat over an academy uniform of some sort, and a young Asian woman in a black and pink gi. They all looked up curiously to see the Gaia Rangers enter.

"Everyone, we've got some new friends," Adam announced. "These are Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, Madilyn, and Drayden, the Gaia Rangers. Gaia Rangers, these are Eric, Tori, Kira, RJ, Doctor K, and Mia."

"So, I hope you're about to tell us these guys know more about what's going on?" Eric asked, walking up to the team.

"We may have been operating on the parallel world they've been coming from for the better part of a year, yes," Dirk replied.

"Finally, some good news," Doctor K said. "Speaking of which, I've been trying to upgrade what surveillance we have in the city. It's coming along slowly, but that's to be expected with the low tech available to us."

"Here, let me see if I can help with that," Layla offered, reaching a hand out.

"...I'd shake your hand, but I've been told that I'm horribly anti-social," Doctor K replied. "Also, I'm not even really here. I'm transmitting my physical parameters from my location on a parallel Earth."

Layla's eyes perked excitedly. "Wow, really? How'd you manage to send a broadcast through the dimensional barriers?"

"The barriers run on unique energy signatures, like radio waves," Doctor K explained with a shrug. "Once you've figured out each one, it's just as simple as tuning to match it. Took weeks to figure this one's out, but who needs sleep when you have the unrestrained power of a sugar rush?"

"Y'know, that approach might help with tracking the Blots," Layla realized. "Can I see your computer?"

Doctor K nodded, leading Layla to it as the others watched slack-jawed, Dirk finally piping up "...Oh dear God, there's two of them."

"So, great, they'll work on that," Drayden noted. "In the meantime, what do we do?"

"Well, I was about to start serving lunch to the civilians," Mia noted, looking to Dirk and Drayden. "But there sure is a lot of it. Could I maybe get one or two of you big tough guys to help?"

Immediately, Dirk pushed in front of Drayden, smiling ear to ear as he followed Mia to the kitchen. "You bet'cha! I can cart food for days!"

"Hey, no way, I wanna help too!" Drayden shouted, running after them as the others watched in embarrassment for the two.

"...Okay, that's that," Patrick said with a sigh. "In the meantime, I think I'm gonna find a quiet space and do some training."

Madilyn cocked an eyebrow. "Uhh, is that really the most helpful thing in the world to do?"

"Well, I think after that last fight, it's clear we're gonna need to be more in shape if we go hunting Blots again," Pat argued. "We don't have our powers here. And I don't know about you, but I don't plan to sit on the sidelines just because I don't have powers."

"I might know a quiet spot where you can train," RJ brought up. "I'll lead you there."

"Y'know, now that you mention it, I could use some training too," Nikki suggested. "But I could also use a sparring partner."

Adam let out a small laugh. "You want a sparring partner? Alright, think you could keep up with me?"

Nikki grinned confidently. "Oh, it's ON."

With that, everyone left to do their own thing, with the other veteran Rangers all returning to their stations or doing their jobs, and the Gaia Rangers going to do their new tasks...All except for Madilyn. Instead, watching as everyone else went off, she found herself taking a seat, tapping her fingers.

"...Right, and I guess I'll just sit here..." Mad muttered, looking utterly bummed out. "Definitely not the homecoming I was hoping for..."

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ So, welcome back to Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia! It's been a while, which is totally my bad, but the good news is that time away has given me plenty of time to look over my plans for the future and re-evaluate them, tweak some stuff here and there, etc. For the most part, though, this opening arc will be how I planned it. And I'm not gonna lie, this is pretty much my attempt to do Once A Ranger right. Of all the team-ups, I think Once A Ranger was the worst, primarily because the two teams hardly ever interact, and the current Rangers come off as privileged jerks who quit when things got tough, as opposed to EVERY OTHER RANGER TEAM EVER.

That said, as you've noticed, this isn't exactly the same Retro Rangers team as from that team-up. I decided to make some substitutions for the sake of having more Saban Era Rangers (and one Neo-Saban Era Ranger), to make it feel more balanced in terms of when these people all came from. Also, I switched out Bridge for Eric because, being from the future, Bridge probably wouldn't be all that available all the time. As for the others, I wanted a Pink Ranger from the Neo-Saban Era, and of them, I figured Mia, as a Samurai, further rounded out the team. RJ...well, I'll get to him next chapter. And Doctor K...because she's Doctor K. Why WOULDN'T I want her to make an appearance? lol

Also, as you've noticed, this takes place between Super Megaforce and Dino Charge, and the Rangers were brought to Gaia just before the Armada invasion. It seemed like the time period that made the most sense to set all this up. Unfortunately, that means there won't be any appearances by the Dino Charge Rangers, which sucks because I actually really like Dino Charge, but them's the breaks.

As for Faye being the Violet Ranger for a little while, that was actually something I had planned for a really long time. Whether or not I'll ever make her a full-time Ranger later on, I'm not sure, but for now, I wanted her to get a piece of the action while the team's away.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the team works with the Retro Rangers to try and find a way back to Gaia, but will they manage to get back before Dradarius can take it over? It's up to Jowar and Faye to hold down the fort, as Always A Ranger continues! Ja né!


	2. Always A Ranger Part 2

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Madilyn blinked in surprise as she walked over to the table where Dirk was having his lunch, along with Kira and Tori. While the veteran Rangers were hesitantly eating the rather sloppy looking food that Mia had cooked for them, Dirk was practically shoveling it down, to the point where Mad couldn't help but wonder how he was finding time to breathe between eating.

"...Your friend's got the strongest stomach I've EVER seen," Tori admitted.

"Is it possible he's got a monster inside him?" Kira asked. "It's just, I remember a story Dr. O told me about from a while back, when a monster made him eat nothing but junk food nonstop."

Hearing this, Dirk started to reply, but with his mouth full of food, not one person could hear a word he said. Realizing this, largely due to the grossed out looks of his fellow Rangers, he quickly gulped what was in his mouth down and tried again, saying "Well, yeah, it's a little different from what most people are used to, but it's a lot like the food Ma would make back on the farm. She had to feed a lot of us, plus the animals, so she had to figure out how to cram all the essentials into something quick and easy to make while also being really filling."

"Something tells me I'd really like your mother," Mia suggested with a smirk as she took a seat at the table, having finished serving everyone else and bringing plates for herself and Madilyn. "Hungry, Madilyn?"

"Ehh, I don't think so..." Madilyn replied as she sat down, looking a bit gloomy.

Dirk blinked in surprise, putting his fork down. "...Mad? You alright?"

"Yeah, just..." Mad started to say before looking down at the table, sighing sadly. "This is just NOT the homecoming I was hoping for."

"I didn't know you thought much about coming home," Dirk admitted. "You always seem so happy being in Gaia, being a Ranger, fighting evil..."

Madilyn nodded, rubbing her temple. "I know, I know...I just, I always thought when I DID come back, I'd be back home with my folks, telling them all about our adventures and all the crazy stuff we got into, and see how proud of me and Layla they'd be, and...and I just really miss Mom and Dad."

"I know how THAT feels," Mia acknowledged. "Being a Samurai Ranger, I had to be away from my family for a really long time. Even now, with the Nighlok threat dealt with, I barely ever see them."

"Yeah, I barely ever see my family," Tori added, playing with her food. "I thought it was bad being a trainee at the Wind Ninja Academy, but ever since I became a teacher there? Even worse."

"My music career keeps me away from home a lot, too," Kira muttered. "...You know, I should really give them a call soon, let them know how I'm doing."

"That's actually a good idea," Dirk realized. "Maybe we should call our folks, too."

"And tell them what?" Madilyn asked. "'Hey guys, sorry we haven't said a word in forever, but we're Power Rangers now, and we're about to go to another dimension, please don't worry about us'? That's not a phone call I'm looking forward to."

Mia frowned, watching Madilyn's expression turn sadder by the moment. It was clear she missed her parents, but didn't want to have this conversation over a phone. She couldn't help but feel like there was something she HAD to do about this. However, her face lightened slightly as an idea hit her, and clearly, the same idea was occurring to Tori and Kira, as the three of them exchanged glances while the Gaia Rangers weren't looking.

* * *

Dradarius leaned back in his throne, watching a large mirror set in the throne room with the image of a massive force of Blots being brought together in it. Blots, Venom Blots, Mecha Blots, and Giant Blots all stood as a single, united army at the edge of the closest Dark Zone to Everbright. His Dark Generals also stood by, watching the scene unfold, as the picture instead changed to show the exterior of the Ancient Library.

"Our scouts have confirmed that what remains of the allied forces that entered the Dark Zone have gathered within the Ancient Library," Spine announced. "While many were injured in combat, they most likely have Dryad healers speeding up the recovery from their wounds."

"...My lord, if I may?" Arc asked, turning to Dradarius. "The Giant Blots should enter the forest first. With only the Magna Buster as a legitimate defense against enlarged monsters, an assault from them should tire Jowar's powers quicker, making the next wave's job that much easier."

"I'm inclined to agree," Dradarius replied. "Still, keep the smaller Blots close behind. In the meantime, we'd best prepare to join the battle as well."

Arc's eye twitched slightly at this. "...Emperor, about that...I would ask that you send myself and Spine to oversee the destruction of Everbright ourselves."

Dradarius cocked an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"

"I...simply don't see the need for you to dirty your hands any further with this foolish old man," Arc explained, bowing a bit. "Spine and I can deal with this matter without you needing to-"

"Is that concern I detect in your voice, Arc?" Shroud inquired as she stepped out from behind the mirror, looking amused. "Surely you aren't worried your Emperor might fall in battle to a 'foolish old man', are you?"

"Listen here, Blot-Mother," Arc growled, drawing an arrow. "I've had enough of your blatant-"

"This conversation is over!" Dradarius groaned, sounding annoyed as he got up from his throne. "Arc, your concern is unneeded. I will crush Jowar myself, and that is that. The two of you can move ahead to join the battle."

Arc gave a quick bow to Dradarius, putting his arrow away. He turned to face the mirror, giving Shroud a hate-filled look, before he and Spine stepped through it, appearing near the Blots in the image. With them gone, Dradarius turned to face Shroud, looking agitated.

"Must you always get on the nerves of my closest allies?" Dradarius demanded, clenching a fist.

Shroud shrugged, sharpening her claws. "In my defense, there isn't much else to do around here for fun. Not since you got all serious about winning this war as soon as possible. It's taken the enjoyment out of watching Gaia's united forces scramble and flail desperately against us."

Dradarius scoffed, stepping toward the mirror. "You are completely and hopelessly without shame in your deplorable ways."

"I am what I am," Shroud responded simply as Dradarius entered the mirror. "...And you have no one to blame for that but yourself, my love."

* * *

Nikki groaned as she felt herself flop back on the mats of the gymnasium. Luckily, the local high school was evacuated while the doors were left open, so going in and making use of the facilities didn't require breaking and entering. After all, that might look a bit bad for her, as a Power Ranger, to be caught committing a felony. Mind you, her and Adam WERE still trespassing, but it wasn't like they were doing it to steal or damage anything. They were using the gym for what it was there for.

"...So what are we on?" Nikki huffed, wiping her forehead.

"17-13, my lead," Adam replied, bent over and panting a few feet away. "You're good."

"Thanks," Nikki said with a smile, getting up and dusting off her red and black gi. "Oh, and thanks for letting me borrow this. Why did you have a spare gi, by the way?"

"I run a dojo in Angel Grove, and sometimes I like to keep a spare gi in my bag in case one of the rookies forgets to bring their own," Adam explained with a smirk.

Nikki's eyes narrowed, putting a hand on her hip in a bit of a mock-hurt stance. "Oh, so I'm the rookie now, am I?"

"You ARE the newest Red Ranger," Adam commented. "At least, as far as I know. Might need to do a double check. It's like we keep popping up everywhere."

"And good thing, too," Nikki noted, walking over to a bench and sitting down on it. "How many disasters do you think were averted simply because a Ranger team was just in the right place at the right time?"

"It's gotta be over a dozen by now," Adam answered, taking a quick drink from a bottle of water. "...You know, sometimes, I think back to when I was teenager, going to school just like this, and then, one day, everything changed, and Zack picked me to replace him as the Black Ranger. Heh, I was so green..."

Nikki grinned, listening intently. "What was that like? The old days? The first Ranger team?"

"Well, first documented Ranger team," Adam corrected. "But, to answer your question, strange. I remember one time we had to fight a monster made out of a television camera. And since then, it's like every insane situation I could've ever thought of has come up. Aliens of all sorts, ninjas, demons, other dimensions..."

"Didn't you guys save Christmas once?" Nikki inquired.

Adam sighed. "TWICE. And after I graduated high school, I was given the chance to pass the torch, and I thought that was gonna be it. But, apparently, once a Ranger, always a Ranger."

Nikki nodded. "So, what you're saying is, don't entertain the idea of hanging up the Morpher anytime soon?"

"...Were you planning to?" Adam asked.

The Guardian of Fire thought about that, looking out the window at the sun. "...You know, I used to. I never asked to be a Ranger. Madilyn was the excited one, but I'd heard some of the stories of past Ranger battles. I kind of have hazy memories of the invasion of Earth years ago. I knew what being a Ranger meant the second I got my Morpher and realized what it was. And when we first came to Gaia, I just wanted to get back here, warn the other Rangers, and let you all take care of it."

Adam looked on, understanding. "...So, what changed?"

Nikki grinned as the answer came to her. "Well, I guess I did. I realized that the problem in Gaia was my team's responsibility. It made me realize, maybe we were, all of us, meant to be Rangers at the exact time we became them. Like, I don't know, destiny or something like that? Like I said, it just feels like every time the worst is about to happen to Earth, a new Ranger team pops up, and the people on it are just the right people for the right job."

Adam smirked, taking another gulp of his water. "Maybe. Or maybe it doesn't matter. Coincidence, fate, what matters most is we do our best when the time comes."

Thinking that over, Nikki smiled and hopped off the bench, taking on a fighting stance. "One more go?"

Adam returned the smile, tossing his bottle and getting into his own stance. After a few seconds, the two charged each other, ducking and weaving around each other's kicks, the two grinning confidently at each other as they gave their all. Still, as focused as she was on scoring a point on Adam, Nikki couldn't help but wonder how her friend was doing with his OWN training...

* * *

Patrick took in a deep breath, trying his best to scan the room around him with his ears. He knew his opponent was close, likely about to strike, and that he had to be the first to get a hit in. Finally, his ears caught the sound of a floorboard to his 7 o'clock creaking, and thus he threw a foot out in that direction...only for it to be caught immediately, and for him to find himself being spun in the air and landing on his side on the floor.

"Sorry, felt like you were having some trouble finding me, so I gave the floor a little extra pressure," RJ said, his eyes covered with a purple blindfold.

Patrick growled, slapping the floor. "Darn it, how are you doing blind fighting better than an actual blind man?!"

"Well, I had a blind man teach me," RJ replied with a grin. "Master Swoop. You should look him up sometime. H might have a few tricks he could teach you, assuming you want to learn them, of course."

Patrick scowled, getting up. "Yeah, well, you Pai Zhuq masters have Animal Spirits to help guide you and your actions! The only advantage I've ever had is back in Gaia! Without it...I CAN'T be useless! There HAS to be a way!"

RJ removed his blindfold, holding a hand up as Patrick turned to leave. "PATRICK!"

Pat stopped, feeling the authority in the Pai Zhuq Master's voice. "...You're acting under the mistaken mindset that only members of the Order of the Claw have Animal Spirits inside them. But aren't human beings also animals? Don't we ALL have a connection to the wild?"

Patrick's eyes widened, turning back to face RJ. "You mean...EVERYONE has an Animal Spirit?"

"The Pai Zhuq managed to harness the spirits inside of them," RJ explained, "but they aren't special in that regard, no. The truth is, anyone COULD. Only those disciplined enough to make a connection to the beast within CAN."

Patrick let a hand touch his own chest, closing his eyes and absorbing this information as RJ went on. "As human beings started to evolve and move out of the wild, they found themselves having to rely less on their natural senses. But your Animal Spirit is different. Learning to call upon it should enhance your ability to feel out the world around you, see it without having to see. It's not just hearing, it's everything. It's feeling the vibrations in the ground, breathing in the air around you and filtering through everything in it, smelling the scents around you..."

At this last sentence, Patrick's nostril's flared slightly as he caught the whiff of something coming from RJ. "...I smell... ... ...fur? Like, like a dog's fur. No, a WOLF'S fur."

The Wolf Ranger grinned, patting Pat's shoulder. "And you smell like something that hasn't been seen on this Earth in a LONG time. Your Animal Spirit is ready to guide you. You just need to let it."

Realizing he was right, Patrick nodded. Reaching up to his crystal, the Guardian of Wind held it tight, and though he couldn't see it, he could FEEL himself start to burn with a green flame-like energy that surrounded his body. But this wasn't coming from his Crystal. It was coming from deep inside him, in his soul. And it wasn't just him that was burning. He could feel a similar energy coming off of RJ, only his was purple, and was burning much brighter. It was upon realizing this that he felt the air around him start to shift, as though something were moving at him very fast. Reaching out, he managed to block it, as, sure enough, it was RJ's fist.

"...Now you're getting it," RJ said with a smirk, just before Patrick returned it. "Now, let's do this."

* * *

"So, the Blots come from a different parallel world from this one," Doctor K summarized as she and Layla looked over her computer, "meaning their bodies are likely emitting a unique energy signature, probably linked to their own world."

"Right," Layla replied, bringing up a satellite image of the city. "But transmitting a holographic body across worlds and actually moving your physical form from one to another are two different things. Even if you know the right frequency, it's normally not possible to do the latter without outside help, like..."

"A portal," Doctor K finished, booting up a program meant to scan the city through the satellite. "But we've been looking over the city for the past week and found nothing."

Layla nodded, looking closer. "That's because this one's small. REALLY small. Barely even a crack. These cracks have ALWAYS been here, influencing the world in smaller ways up until now, but with things getting worse in Gaia, it's now starting to send Blots through. But if we can track the Blots' movements, figure out where they're coming from, we should be able to find it."

"To what end?" Doctor K inquired. "As I understand it, the Blots, in the natural form, are little more than shadows, far easier to get through small gaps than a human body."

"I'm hoping that, if we can get the Crystals closer to the portal, we might be able to expand it some," the Blue Gaia Ranger answered. "The Crystals funnel the elemental energy from Gaia. If we can get enough energy to pass through the portal-"

Doctor K's eyes widened, getting where Layla was going. "It'll widen it enough for you to pass back through it!"

"Exactly," Layla replied, just as the scan went off and several dozen dots littered the screen. "And lookie here: Scan's caught the Blots. Now we just gotta keep a close watch on what they do."

"You're quite the genius, Layla," Doctor K admitted.

Layla blushed terribly, looking away. "I-I wouldn't say that. It's your equipment that's making all this work."

"But you have good senses," Doctor K noted, "good enough to know how to properly use my scanning program and your Gaian Crystals to find a way back to Gaia."

"Well, don't celebrate just yet," Layla responded. "I just hope we get back soon. The longer we wait, the more trouble Faye could get into, and she's already shoulder-high in it already..."

Doctor K tilted her head, confused. "I would think you would be more worried about the people on Gaia who AREN'T Rangers, who CAN'T stand up to monsters or the like."

Layla sighed, taking a seat. "But Faye...she WASN'T chosen to be a Ranger. She has her powers because, in a rush, my sister did something dumb. She's never been in a real fight before. And now she's on her own, and...and I'm scared of what she's going through."

Doctor K sighed, watching as the Guardian of Water's gaze fell, her hands in her hair, and she started to rock slightly in her chair. Despite having an innate hate and discomfort for situations like this, the doctor from another Earth hesitantly walked over and patted the girl on the shoulder, feeling more and more awkward with each passing second, until her mind came across just the thing to say.

"...You know, I used to think that only someone who matched the exact physical and mental specifications I'd set up could possibly be a Ranger," Doctor K admitted, taking a seat in a chair next to Layla. "And then...one day, someone I'd never planned for or acknowledged could be a Ranger became bonded to one of the Morphers I'd built."

Layla's ears perked at this as Doctor K went on. "He was a bumbling buffoon, in very much every regard. He lacked every essential requirement I could ever think of when it came to being a Ranger...and every single day, he proved me wrong. He proved himself worthy of being a Ranger. And that's when I learned that even the single most flawed person can surprise you."

Layla looked into Doctor K's eyes, seeing a familiar twinkle, and then looked down to see her fiddling with a green ribbon on her left wrist, grinning at this. "...This person wouldn't by chance be someone special to you, would he?"

Doctor K's cheeks brightened a touch, pulling her sleeve down over the ribbon and turning back to her computer. "...'Special' is one word that could be used to describe him, I suppose."

"Hey, Layla?" the two heard Tori ask as she entered the room. She was flanked by Kira, both of them looking a bit concerned.

"...What's up?" Layla inquired, a bit confused.

"We kinda need your help with something," Kira answered. "It's to help your sister out."

* * *

Looking down at the empty bottom bunk beside her, Faye knelt down and took a seat on the edge of it. She could still smell Layla's presence in the sheets, and when she closed her eyes, it was almost as if she could feel her arms wrapping around her. She shuddered slightly as a sob forced itself out of her, burying her face in a hand preemptively as she knew tears were soon to follow.

"...What am I doing?" Faye asked herself, reaching down to the Crystal Blast Morpher strapped to her side. "I can't...I can't do this alone."

"Faye?" a kindly voice inquired, Faye turning to face the door as Charles entered the Rangers' bedroom.

"O-Oh, Professor Snyder," Faye stammered, getting up awkwardly. "I was just taking a moment for myself."

"I'm sorry, I would've knocked, but I didn't know you were in here," Charles explained, rubbing his arm. "...Faye, can I ask you a question?"

Faye looked confused for a moment, but nodded, letting Charles ask, "...Can you really feel Layla? And the others? Are you sure they're alive?"

Faye folded her arms, holding herself a little. "I...I can't explain it, but I'm sure that Layla is alive somewhere. If she's alive, then I'm sure the others...I'm sure Drayden is alright."

Charles nodded, looking a bit relieved. "Alright. I just...I'm not usually one for believing in something with no real evidence to back up said belief, but I know that this is a special case, so...I guess what I'm saying is that I'll believe in you, then."

Faye looked back downward. "...So many saying that right now."

"Then maybe you should listen?" Charles advised, surprising Faye. "I know this wasn't a situation you or anyone else asked for, but this is how things are right now, and everyone is giving you their support. And I'm sure Layla and the others would, too."

"I just wish I had that much confidence in myself," Faye explained, looking back to the Professor. "How can everyone be so sure I won't fail them?"

Charles simply grinned. "Well, my dear, like I said before, I don't usually believe in something without evidence to back it up. You've survived quite a few perilous situations, regardless of how, and been a constant source of help for everyone here and for the Rangers. Your compassion and unwillingness to give up are your strengths, and I believe they're strengths that will be a huge help."

Faye smiled at this, giving a small nod to the professor, just before Jowar barged in. "Faye, it's happening! An army of Blots, approaching the forest!"

Hearing this, Faye felt herself start to get scared again. She reached down and grabbed hold of the blaster at her side, her thoughts with the others, but this time, she wasn't wishing they were here instead of her. Instead, she sought their encouragement, their strength to guide her. Closing her eyes, her thoughts on them, she was surprised to instead see, in her mind's eye, the image of the Thunderbird Zord, its eyes locked on hers. Its crystal shimmered in the Morpher, warming Faye's body.

Opening her eyes, Faye looked to Jowar confidently. "...Well then, I guess we should get ready to welcome them."

* * *

Drayden looked out over the city as he stood on the roof of the building. He could sense the Blots all around town, but he couldn't isolate them, meaning he had to wait and see if Layla and Doctor K could track them. It was at this point, thinking that exact thought, that he chuckled a little to himself, unable to escape the irony that, an ability that had once terrified him to have, he now wished he had the same level of control over as he had in Gaia.

"Gaia..." he said to himself. "Dad...I hope everything's going alright for you all..."

"Hopefully, you won't have to wait long to find out," a voice declared from the entrance to the roof, causing Drayden to spin around and find himself facing Eric.

"Didn't know the Silver Guardians were known for eavesdropping," Drayden noted, folding his arms. "Or is that more a Time Force thing?"

"I don't really consider myself a member of Time Force," Eric admitted with a shrug, walking over to the Indigo Ranger. "That was always more Wes' thing. I just help out and use their tech."

Drayden scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Ah, I get it, you're the outsider, huh? The loner?"

"It's an old habit," Eric acknowledged. "One I'm always trying to break. Although, here's a question: Why are you out here, contemplating your worries and concerns with nobody, instead of going back inside and talking to your team?"

Drayden blinked in surprise, the Quantum Ranger having taken him completely off-guard with that question. "I, uh...I don't know."

Eric folded his arms on the ledge of the roof, looking out over the city. "Well, lemme guess: Newest member of the team? Having to fit into the pre-established group? Maybe did something kinda awful to them beforehand?"

Drayden rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a little. "...Yeah, okay, you got me. I guess I feel like being a bit of a loner sometimes, too."

"Well, here's a piece of advice: Don't," Eric said as plainly as possible. "No matter what's going on in your life that might make you feel otherwise, you're part of a Ranger team, which means you all need to be there for each other, and that's not just when it comes to fighting monsters, either. Trust me, the longer you wait, the worse you'll feel about all the time you missed procrastinating over it."

Drayden nodded, understanding. "You miss them? Your team?"

Eric sighed. "Well, you know, four fifths of them are from the future, so it's not like we see each other all that often. Usually takes a pretty big crisis to get us all together these days."

Thinking this over, Drayden looked back to the door inside. "...Maybe I SHOULD go back in, then."

Eric nodded, still looking out at the city, until he felt a hand clasp onto his shoulder, turning to see Drayden smiling at him. "I'm just not going in ALONE is all."

"...Punk," Eric said with a grin.

"Bigger punk," Drayden replied, practically dragging Eric back inside.

* * *

Madilyn watched as Dirk finally headed up the hall toward her and Layla, leaning back against the wall. "...So, did you call them, or did you just stand around in there for about a couple of hours?"

"...Y-Yeah," Dirk replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not the easiest conversation I've ever had, but...well, I still feel better talking to them."

"So, what did you tell them?" Layla asked curiously.

Dirk blushed a little, looking down at the floor. "I...kinda told them I was enlisted in a government project to help them learn how to grow crops on the moon, and I've been in space the past few months."

"...And they BELIEVED that?" Mad demanded. "How would you even go about doing that? It's the MOON!"

"Actually, little known fact, there IS a breathable atmosphere on the moon," Layla pointed out as the three headed back up the hall toward the office. "Don't ask how it happened, it was some weird thing in the early 90's involving an extraterrestrial dumpster of some sort."

Dirk looked absolutely stunned at this. "...How do more people not know about something like that?"

Layla shrugged dismissively. "I don't know, how are there people that don't believe in aliens after Earth was invaded back in 1998?"

"I know, right?!" Madilyn exclaimed as she opened the door to the office. "What do they think, that it was just guys in rubber sui-..."

Madilyn stopped cold as she looked ahead, the colour draining from her face. Standing before her was a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a violet and blue dress, and a man with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue and white plaid shirt and blue jeans. Her throat immediately went dry as her mouth opened, looking for something to say, but found nothing.

"Madilyn...Layla...!" the man said, looking to be on the verge of tears as he grabbed Madilyn in a tight hug, the brunette in violet doing the same with Layla. "Where have you been?!"

"I...uh..." Madilyn stammered, casting a glance at her sister. "How...?"

"I kinda...sorta...gave Kira and Tori our address," Layla admitted, getting an angry glance from her sister while Dirk creeped away with a guilty look on his face. "Well, they said you didn't wanna call them, so...!"

"Girls, where on Earth have you been?!" the woman demanded, looking them both over.

"...Would you believe we were in outer space for a government mission?" Madilyn asked, getting vexed glances, before finally sighing and giving up. "Alright. Mom, Dad, you should both sit down. This is...kind of a long story."

* * *

Looking upon the Viewing Globe, Faye and Jowar watched as the army of Blots began to reach the edge of the forest. Giant, towering Blots crossed into the woods first, followed by a massive swarm of shadows, all surrounding Dradarius and his Dark Generals. Jowar narrowed his eyes, gripping his staff in both hands tightly.

"He's no doubt sending the larger Blots in first to draw the fire of the Magna Buster," Jowar surmised, stroking his beard. "He knows my powers are limited, though my recent boost should give me an advantage."

"No," Faye said, surprising the old wizard. "You need to be on the ground, protecting the library. I'll take the Thunderbird Zord to battle the Giant Blots."

"Are you sure that's a wise plan?" Jowar inquired. "You'd be outnumbered."

"I might not be able to form a Megazord, but with the Auxiliary Zord Crystals, I can at least summon help if I need it," Faye reminded Jowar, resting a hand on his shoulder. "You're our best bet at cutting their numbers down."

Thinking this over, Jowar eventually nodded his head in agreement. "...Alright. But be careful up there."

"I will," Faye replied. "And you be careful, too."

"I'll watch his back..." the two heard a gravelly voice declare as Infernios entered the room, his shoulder bandaged up.

Faye looked on, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you sure you've healed up enough?"

"The only thing left wounded is my pride," Infernios replied with a grin, "and I plan to heal that a considerable amount."

Jowar smiled, slapping a hand to Infernios' unbandaged shoulder. "Well met, Infernios. Just try not to overdo it."

"You'd better hurry," Charles declared, looking out the window. "They're starting to get a little closer."

"He's right," Jowar declared, drawing his Light Crystal. " **It's Morphin Time!** "

Twisting the unicorn horn on his Unimax Staff back, Jowar placed the Light Crystal inside and shut it closed. He then gave his staff a spin before raising it skyward, just as Faye raised her Crystal Blast Morpher up, the two calling, " _ **Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_ " A series of yellow and violet blasts of energy spun around in the air before coating Jowar and Faye in their light, materializing their Ranger suits.

* * *

Madilyn's mother blinked, trying to absorb everything she'd heard over what felt like a couple of hours, but was actually closer to a half hour. "...So, you're Power Rangers?"

"Yeah," Madilyn replied, fiddling her fingers about. "We would've contacted you sooner, but we just couldn't. We were stuck on that other world I mentioned. We didn't get back here until this morning."

"I knew we should've never passed that crystal down to you," Madilyn's father said, an angry tone in his voice.

"Daniel," his wife whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We had no idea what that crystal was, just that it was a family heirloom."

"Yeah, with specific instructions to never be sold, never get lost, and to be passed down to each new generation as they arrived," Daniel retorted. "Martha, how could we have not seen the signs that it was trouble?"

Madilyn blushed hard, looking away. "Yyyyeah, about that? The whole 'never getting it lost' thing? It's kind of back in Gaia, with...a friend."

Martha looked surprised at this. "You left it behind? Why?"

"We were just about to be teleported away," Layla interjected, "and Madilyn...I guess she felt like she needed to keep one Ranger in the game...and I guess maybe it wasn't the absolute dumbest thing she could've done."

Madilyn smiled, looking touched. "You really mean that, sis?"

"Well, it's just as well," Daniel said dismissively. "Now it's someone else's problem."

"...No, Dad," Mad replied, shaking her head. "It's MY problem. That's why I'm going back with the others to finish what we started."

"No!" Daniel shouted, standing up from his chair. "I forbid it! You're my daughter, and I refuse to let you do something this dangerous!"

Madilyn looked shocked. "...'Let' me? I'm an adult now, thank you very much. I've BEEN an adult since I graduated high school and went to college-"

"You STILL live under my roof come holidays!" Daniel reminded her.

"She's not going alone," Layla pointed out. "I'm going too."

"You absolutely are NOT!" Daniel shouted, towering over Layla. "Give the crystal to someone else and-"

"NO!" Layla cried, getting up from her chair with a look of defiance. "It's MY Gaian Crystal, passed down to me by MY family, just like Madilyn's, and it's all she has LEFT of them!"

Daniel and Martha's eyes widened at this, their faces turning ghostly white, keeping silent as Layla, her outburst subsiding, went on. "...I got my memories back. They're...they're kinda mashed up pretty badly with Tina's, but...I know I Madilyn was born Madilyn Mauve, and I know her family died in a fire, and...and I know you guys adopted her, and hid the truth about how Tina was Madilyn's real sister."

"Oh, Layla," Martha stammered, her eyes watering up. "I...We didn't-"

"It's okay," Layla said, looking to her mother. "I understand what you did. I don't necessarily like it, and I don't think I wanna know how long you were planning to wait to tell me the truth, but...but I DO get it. You did it for Madilyn, and...well, I guess maybe for me, too."

Daniel clenched his fists, looking down at the ground. "We just didn't know what had happened, or how to tell you. You just seemed to happy to be with her as your sister."

Layla nodded, taking her father's hand before walking over to Madilyn and holding her hand with theirs. "I know. But...ever since I found out what really happened, I've had a chance to think about what I am, who I was, and who I wanna be. And now that I have that choice, I KNOW, more than ever, who I am: I'm Madilyn's sister. She's really and truly a part of this family."

Daniel nodded, understanding. "...And you're a Power Ranger. Right?"

"Yeah, I'm a Power Ranger," Layla said, an awkward grin forming on her face. "Also...my girlfriend currently has Madilyn's crystal, so I'm DEFINITELY gonna need to go back and help her, whether she REALLY needs it or not."

"You...have a girlfriend...in Gaia?" Martha asked slowly, blushing a little.

"I can vouch for her, Mom," Madilyn said after clearing her throat. "She's actually a really sweet and trustworthy girl."

Daniel thought it over for a second before letting loose a small chuckle. "...Well, I guess if YOU'VE given your blessing, she MUST be."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Madilyn asked, confused.

"That you wouldn't let anyone interested in me within a five foot radius of me unless you trusted them," Layla answered with a grin.

Madilyn gave a dirty leer, but quickly laughed it off, pulling her sister and her parents into a big hug. And feeling all her family together made everything a bit better. Sure, her first time seeing her parents again hadn't gone exactly as she'd hoped, and there would probably need to be more said later on, but for now, she was at least confident that everything was going to be alright.

Looking over her father's shoulder, Madilyn smiled at Tori, Mia, and Kira as they watched through a window into the office. Deciding to give them some privacy, the three instead turned to the man they'd called upon to bring the Bluestones there: A somewhat large, bald man in a do-rag and a leather jacket with the sleeves torn off.

"Thanks again for doing this," Mia said with a warm smile.

"Well, always happy to help out the Power Rangers," the man replied with a grin. "Still, this is ANOTHER one you guys owe me. Pretty soon, you're gonna have to owe me the chance to borrow one of those Morphers for a day or-"

"Bulk?!" a voice demanded, leading to the group looking to Adam as he entered the area with Nikki right behind him. "Is that you?"

"Adam!" Farkas Bulkmeier cried happily, picking up Adam in a big, goofy bear hug. "Good to see you again, man! It's been years!"

"Yeah...what are you doing here?" Adam inquired awkwardly as Bulk let him down.

"Well, Mia needed me to give some couple a drive here," Bulk answered. "Something about a family reunion?"

Adam blinked, looking to Mia. "...Wait, you two know each other?"

"We go back a little," Mia affirmed. "Bulk's actually been helping to provide supplies for the people here."

"Good thing those two were on the way here, huh?" Bulk pointed out before looking to Nikki, catching a glimpse of her Morpher. "...So, you must be the new kid."

"That's right," Nikki replied. "Are...are YOU a Power Ranger?"

Bulk grinned, grabbing hold of his jacket and holding his head high. "No, but I've SAVED the Power Rangers numerous times throughout my life. One could even make the suggestion that I've risen to a plateau beyond mere mortal men that ha-"

Before Bulk could continue, having taken a step backward, he found himself slipping on an errant banana that must've fallen to the ground while lunch was being served earlier. He pitched backwards, his arms flailing about to try to catch hold of anything to stop himself, and instead fell rear end first into a garbage can, falling to the ground while stuck inside of it. The scene was so over-the-top embarrassing that Nikki could've sworn she heard a fail horn in the back of her head.

Adam shook his head, looking down on the fallen Bulk. "...SO good to know that some things will NEVER change."

"Rangers!" the group heard Doctor K yell, entering the room just as the Bluestones exited the office. "I think I've found the portal. The Blots all seem to be coming from a dead end street on the south end of the city."

Adam nodded, looking to his fellow Rangers. "...Get everyone together. Time to take the fight to them."

"Hold up!" Layla shouted, holding a hand up. "There's one thing we gotta do first! Madilyn, got your hair dye?"

Madilyn blinked in surprise for a moment, but quickly smiled as she realized where Layla was going with this. "ALWAYS, sis."

* * *

With a loud garbling sound, a group of about two-dozen Blots suddenly emerged from a thin, black crack in a brick wall at the end of a single street. They were quickly greeted by about a half-dozen more already in the city. With a quick understanding, the group soon turned to make their way up the street, only to find a series of blasts hitting the ground before them.

As the smoke from the blasts cleared, the Blots found themselves facing the Rangers, all unmorphed, with Nikki, Patrick, Layla, and Dirk holding up their blasters. Layla ran a hand through her hair, which now had a few navy and aquamarine streaks to match Madilyn's pink and purple ones. The twelve Rangers formed a long line, taking up the width of the street.

"Is it just me, or do these foot soldiers keep getting uglier every year?" Eric inquired, readying himself. "Even my Q-Rex wouldn't chow down on THESE guys."

"You never had to fight Moogers," Mia pointed out, gripping her Spin Sword.

"Focus, team," Adam ordered, taking a step forward. "It's time to save two worlds."

With a collective growl, the Blots immediately ran toward the Rangers, who merely adopted fighting stances as they prepared for battle, Adam yelling "Let's go to work!"

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ Sorry this is a little on the late side, but I kinda decided to work on chapters 2 and 3 at the same time, first writing up the parts I REALLY wanted to get to first before filling in the gaps later. As a result, though, the next chapter shouldn't be a long wait. Also, I apologize if this seems mostly character development with very little action, but that's because the next chapter is the exact opposite: Mostly action with few character moments. Really, I suppose I could've reworked the two into a single chapter, but I decided to keep Always A Ranger at three parts.

I should note that the scene with the Bluestones wasn't my idea, but it was a good one that I decided to go with. I suppose, in the end, this was a scene that eventually HAD to happen with these characters, especially with Layla making it clear she forgives her parents. That said, and this isn't me asking you to vote on this, but just let me know, do you think I should include more moments involving the Rangers' families sometime down the road? It's just that I DO have a couple of ideas on how I could integrate them, but I'm on the fence, and would like some input on my readers as to whether you'd be okay with that idea.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, the Rangers have to get back to Gaia to stop Dradarius from taking it over, but will the war be over before they can even land a single blow? Find out when Always A Ranger concludes. Ja né!


	3. Always A Ranger Part 3

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

Dradarius smirked confidently as he sat upon a seat being carried into the forest of Everbright by a group of Venom Blots. Stomping through the woods ahead were about a dozen Giant Blots, ready to take the brunt of the opposition first. With the Magna Buster focused on them, the smaller, yet far more numerous, force would be able to stampede in mostly unimpeded. And, as a bonus, should Jowar decide to deal with them afterward, he'd be weakened a bit. It was a well-constructed plan to assure this would be dealt with as promptly as possibly.

As such, it was a bit of a surprise to the Usurper of the Dark Throne to find the old wizard ahead. Jowar was morphed into the Wizard Ranger, and preparing to fight them on the ground with only a single Magma Naga at his side. Seeing this, Dradarius gave the signal for his forces to stop their advance and, out of sheer curiosity, to allow him and his Dark Generals to gather at the front.

"...I have to admit, Jowar, you surprise me!" Dradarius called as he came to the edge of his forces, facing Jowar with only a few yards between them. "I wasn't expecting you to greet me so...brazenly!"

"I'll say this once..." Jowar replied, readying his staff as Infernios drew his claws. "...Get out of my forest, Dradarius!"

Dradarius tilted his head back and laughed at this demand. "Jowar, old friend, you indeed have a wonderful sense of humour! Look before you! You can't hope to defeat this entire army with a single Magma Naga as your sole ally!"

The Wizard Ranger grinned under his helmet. "...Who said that was my plan?"

Before Dradarius could inquire what Jowar meant by that, a loud cawing sounded overhead, just before the cracking of thunder. Immediately, a Giant Blot was blown to dark mist as the Thunderbird Zord swooped ahead, firing lightning bolts all around. The explosions of the bolts hitting the ground knocked a number of Blots off their feet.

"One of the Gaia Zords?!" Spine demanded. "I thought the Guardians and their crystals were gone from Gaia!"

"Apparently, I need to try harder," Dradarius replied with narrowed eyes before looking back to Jowar. "...I suppose I'll start with you. ATTACK!"

With that order, the mass army of Blots charged past the Emperor, running headlong toward Jowar and Infernios. The two immediately leaped into battle, releasing streams of light and fire at everything that came their way, incinerating a few Blots right away. With staff and claws, they began pounding down on any shadows that came close, all the while Faye piloted the Thunderbird Zord above and sent blasts of electricity across the bodies of the Giant Blots, who swung at their target wildly.

* * *

Meanwhile, on Earth, the Rangers were battling their own horde of Blots. Ducking under one that dove at him, Adam sprung backward onto his hands and kicked upward with his feet into the Blot's gut, sending it sailing through the air right into a roundhouse kick from Nikki in its eye. Going low, Adam quickly tripped another Blot up, punching it in the face as soon as it went down, just as Nikki leaped overhead and caught another in the chest with a dropkick, sending it crashing into two more.

"How's it looking now?" Nikki asked as she and Adam went back-to-back.

"3-2, your lead," Adam replied before punching down another Blot with a right hook. "Getting too excited?"

"Well, it's one of those days!" Nikki responded as she kicked an attacking shadow in the face.

A few feet away, RJ was driving knees and elbows into any Blots that came near him, while Patrick was slashing at Blot legs with his Gaia Saber while keeping crouched down. Seeing a dozen suddenly charge him, RJ quickly performed a number of katas before releasing his Wolf Spirit, which knocked the Blots away with a single swipe. RJ smirked at this, but as soon as his Wolf Spirit disappeared, five Blots suddenly leaped down from a roof above him, claws outstretched.

"RJ!" Patrick yelled, sensing the Venom Blots as he stretched an arm out. Suddenly, without even trying, Patrick released his own Animal Spirit, as a projection very similar to his Hippogriff Zord swooped up into the air and collided with the Blots, raking across their eyes with its talons and turning them all to mist.

"I..." Pat stammered, feeling his hands as the Hippogriff Spirit faded. "How did I do that?"

RJ smiled, slapping Patrick on the shoulder. "Looks like you're learning pretty fast, after all."

Patrick nodded before turning back to the Blots charging them again, picking his sword back up. "...Well, let's see if we can teach THEM a thing or two!"

* * *

With a loud cry, Jowar brought his staff across a Blot's face so hard that they spun around completely three times before hitting the ground. With it out of the way, the Wizard Ranger found himself face-to-face with Dradarius, who merely grinned at this encounter. Clearly, both were looking forward to this fight, and both were going to get exactly what they wanted.

"You know, I'm actually glad you survived your home being burned to the ground," Dradarius admitted. "I'd much prefer breaking you with my own two hands."

"Come and try!" Jowar yelled, firing a hot beam of light at Dradarius, who dodged with relative ease and let the beam instead scorch a pair of Venom Blots behind him. At a speed that surprised Jowar, Dradarius raced forward, grabbed the old wizard by the throat, and slammed him down onto the ground. However, with his opponent now standing directly over him, Jowar now had an easier target, unloading a blast of light right into his chest. This attack sent the Usurper of the Dark Throne straight up into the air, where he was blasted with bolts of lightning from the Thunderbird Zord.

"Taste that, you monster!" Faye cheered as Dradarius fell back to the ground, only to watch in astonishment as he landed on both feet with little more than a few scratches on his armour. "...Alright, I suppose this is going to be a bit harder than I thought."

Dradarius likewise glared up at the Thunderbird Zord with narrowed eyes as Arc came up to his side. "Let's see about clearing the skies a bit, shall we, Arc?"

Arc nodded, setting four pitch-black arrows to his bow. He then released them straight up into the air, only for them to curve back downward and strike a quartet of Venom Blots. With a growl, the shadows grew in size to become giants, staring menacingly at their opponent in the sky.

"Looks like it's time for that back-up!" Faye realized, opening the Crystal Blast Morpher and inserting the Unicorn Crystal. "Unicorn Zord!"

Closing the blaster and pulling the trigger, Faye sent out a silver light from her Zord, creating an effigy of a silver moon in the sky. The Unicorn Zord climbed out from behind the moon, standing atop it as it fired rays of light all across the Giant Blots and Giant Venom Blots. This managed to eradicate all but two of the standard giants, while the Ebony Venom variety were still standing. The quartet of giants unleashed a series of eye blasts at the Unicorn Zord, who dove off the moon to evade them.

"Turtle Zord, you're next!" Faye called, swapping out the Unicorn Crystal for the Turtle Crystal.

The Thunderbird Zord unleashed an aquamarine blast that splashed down into a nearby bay. Within seconds, the Turtle Zord came sailing out, tucking into its shell, and flew through the air. It then collided hard with the first giant that it came across, then essentially pinballed its way through the group, knocking them all around.

"Kitsune Zord, your turn!" Faye shouted, replacing the Turtle Crystal with the Kitsune Crystal.

Faye pulled the trigger of her Crystal Blast Morpher and released a blast of pink light at a nearby mountain. A mass of pink flames erupted from the mountain top, from which the Kitsune Zord leaped out of and charged into battle, unleashing pink fireballs from the tips of its tails at all the remaining Giant Blots. It annihilated the ordinary variety, but the Venom Blots seemed more vexed than anything, which Jowar observed from the ground.

"Don't give up, Faye," Jowar whispered. "Keep fighting."

"You should be more concerned with yourself!" a growling voice yelled, getting Jowar's attention just before an axe came down into the ground where he was standing a second beforehand. Clutching the Unimax Staff in both hands, Jowar looked upon his attacker with a look of contempt.

"Spine," Jowar muttered. "Given up heading the Metallurk Dwarves so you can be Dradarius' lackey, I see."

"The Metallurk are beneath me now!" Spine countered, swinging his axe hard against Jowar's staff, locking weapons with him. "When I win Dradarius' war for him, the profits I'll receive will be astronomically greater than mere weapon designers'!"

"You're a disgrace to your Dwarven heritage," the Wizard Ranger replied, spinning his staff and catching Spine in the gut hard enough to knock him backward. "But then, that's nothing new."

"HE seeks profit in his actions," another voice declared as Jowar glanced over his shoulder, spotting the Fallen Angel behind him. "I, on the other hand, seek something greater."

Jowar's eyes twitched in anger. "To abandon the light to be a mere lapdog to Dradarius? How many Angels were lost because of your treachery?!"

Arc's demeanor didn't change at all as he drew an arrow, readying it. "...Enough. No more, no less."

* * *

Back on Earth, Kira and Dirk were fighting off a batch of Blots on their own as more enemies continued to come through the dark crack. Dirk shoulder-tackled a few of the vicious shadows against a brick wall, then quickly rolled out of the way before Kira unleashed a powerful Ptera Scream, which collided with the Blots so hard that they actually shook apart into mist.

"Yikes!" Dirk yelled, cleaning out his ear. "You don't do that on-stage, do you?!"

Kira shrugged with a smile. "Only when I need to hit the REALLY high notes."

"Kira, up high!" Tori yelled as she and Layla ran toward the two.

With a nod, Dirk and Kira got side by side and stretched their arms out, just as Layla and Tori leaped up into the air. Springing off the Orange and Yellow Rangers, the two dove into a group of Blots, Tori dropkicking one into a pile of three more, while Layla tackled another to the ground and swiftly kicked it in the eye, taking it out immediately. As the others started to get back up, the Blue Wind Ranger thrust two fingers forward, unleashing a powerful jet of water that drove them across the ground hard, crashing into a wall near where Mia and Madilyn were fending off Blots with their swords.

"These guys slip through the cracks of the world worse than Moogers!" Mia commented, cutting down a Blot with her Spin Sword.

"I'll take your word for it!" Madilyn replied, stabbing a shadow in the eye and eliminating them. "I REALLY wish I had my daggers right now! I like having a weapon in each hand!"

"Oh, you're a twin blader?" the Pink Samurai Ranger asked, kicking a Blot in the gut before handing over her sword. "Try this on for size!"

Mad smiled, taking the Spin Sword in hand. Now with two blades, she quickly began ducking and spinning around Blots, slashing any shadows that moved, until everything on her side was down. Seeing Mia get overwhelmed, though, the Violet Gaia Ranger threw both swords to her, letting her cut across the legs of her attackers and sending them all sprawling across the concrete.

"Not too bad with two swords yourself," Madilyn commented, punting a downed Blot in the head as it tried to get up.

"Thanks," Mia responded graciously, handing the Gaia Saber back.

Nearby, Eric was kicking and punching his way through well over a dozen Blots on his own, but was quickly finding himself outnumbered. He wasn't for long, though, as Drayden ran in and hit a Blot with a jumping knee to the side of the head, immediately getting back to back with Eric.

"Sure are a lot of 'em!" Eric commented before taking a glance at Drayden's Dragon Buster. "Think that thing can take 'em all down?"

"Should be able to, but I could use a hand!" Drayden replied, grabbing hold of his blade as Eric grinned. Drawing it, the Indigo Ranger hacked through everything on his side, knocking the enemies to the ground, before thrusting it against the Blots attacking Eric, who rolled to Drayden's side and took hold of the Dragon Buster as well. With a yell, the two ran forward, shoving the giant blade across any Blots who came near it before pinning a few against a street sign, then cleaved both it and them apart.

"Pretty hefty thing," Eric noted, releasing the blade.

"Well, it's not exactly what I'd call a finesse weapon," Drayden retorted, putting his sword away.

As the Rangers started finishing up the last of the Blots, Adam's wrist communicator went off just as he was about to punch one, causing him to roll his eyes and kick the shadow away instead as he lifted the communicator to his lips. "Go ahead, Doctor K!"

"Rangers, the proximity of the crystals to the portal is causing energy to pour through at an accelerated rate, as Layla predicted!" Doctor K exclaimed over the comm, as sure enough, the thin, black crack in the brick wall was becoming a large, multicoloured tear of energy, actually shattering the wall around it.

"She's right!" Patrick shouted as visions of everything around him started flooding his brain. "I can see through the wind again!"

"Then let's find out how much energy's going through!" Nikki yelled, regrouping with Layla, Patrick, and Dirk. The four drew their Crystal Blast Morphers, inserted their crystals, and unleashed an array of red, blue, green, and orange blasts on the last of the Blots, evaporating them.

"It worked!" Layla cheered. "Our powers are back!"

"Well, YOUR powers, anyway," Madilyn pointed out, albeit with a grin.

"Rangers, a new development!" Doctor K reported as the twelve started to converge on the portal, its width increasing more and more. "I'm reading some sort of energy link leading back through! It seems to be connected to another Gaian Crystal!"

"That's gotta be your friend, Faye," RJ guessed. "Your crystals must be connected to each other somehow."

"He's right," Drayden replied. "When the five of you brought your crystals together and opened a portal, they signaled mine to bring me in, too."

"But for our crystals to link to hers so easily, it must be active," Patrick noted. "...She must be in a fight."

"Well, is there some way to ride that connection to where she is?" Tori asked.

"Traversing the portal is already difficult enough," Doctor K answered before an idea struck her. "...Layla, you and the others need to summon your Zords. It should increase the width of the portal more, and allow you to safely navigate the space between worlds to your destination."

"We're gonna fit our Zords through THAT?!" Dirk demanded, pointing at the portal.

"We're gonna try, anyway!" Nikki insisted, placing her crystal in her Gaia Saber as the others followed suit.

"Doctor K, how long should the portal stay open for?" Adam asked, surprising everyone.

"It's difficult to be sure, but I can't imagine it would hold for much longer than 15 minutes after the Gaia Rangers pass through it," Doctor K responded. "...Why?"

Eric blinked in surprise. "...Adam, are you thinking of doing what I THINK you're thinking of doing?"

"Nikki told me the one responsible for this was incredibly powerful," Adam explained, "and now he's attacking their friend. I might not be able to stay in Gaia to help forever, but I can at least help push him back."

Eric grinned. "So, you're going...Okay, count me in, too."

"We'll ALL go," Mia corrected the two as the Retro Rangers formed up. "We're a team, after all. And that includes the Gaia Rangers now, too."

Nikki smiled as she watched this. "...You guys...Thank you."

"Don't thank us yet," Kira pointed out. "Wait until we've kicked this Emperor guy's butt back to wherever he came from."

The Red Gaia Ranger nodded, the twelve Rangers forming up with Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Drayden in front. Together, the five aimed their swords forward, their Gaian Crystals inside, as beams of light poured out from them and into the portal. Eventually, the portal began to shake a bit in the air as the beams forced it wider, now expanding to a size greater than the buildings around it. After a few moments, the group heard a familiar cluster of roars as the Gaia Rangers grinned, the light growing brighter around them.

* * *

Faye cried out as sparks flew in the cockpit of the Thunderbird Zord. Even with the Auxiliary Zords backing her up, the Giant Venom Blots were becoming too much for her, and were blasting across the hull of her Zord repeatedly. A couple more hits like those, and she'd be knocked out of the skies. Looking down, she could see the battle on the ground wasn't going much better, as Infernios was barely keeping himself up and had his bandages shredded apart, while Jowar was being knocked around by Dradarius and his Dark Generals.

"No!" Faye yelled, gripping the controls tighter. "I can't let it end like this! I've gotta stay strong!"

Just as she said this, though, a single Giant Venom Blot swung both hands toward Faye in her Zord, looking to swat both like a bug. Seeing this coming, almost as if it were in slow motion, Faye knew she didn't have enough time to evade, so instead, with grit teeth, she poured as much energy as she could into the Thunderbird Zord's wings, hoping that at least the act of crushing her would electrify the monster to death. As the Blot's hands loomed at her, she closed her eyes, waiting for the end...but it didn't come, as instead, the Giant Venom Blot was hit hard by a large chuck of ice, knocking it to the ground.

"W...What?" Faye asked, shocked.

"Sorry we're a little late!" a familiar voice called out as, all around her, the other core Gaia Zords had arrived and were taking formation, unleashing their respective attacks on every over-sized Blot in the area and blasting them away.

Faye's eyes widened in sheer joy as she looked down at the Leviathan Zord. "...LAYLA! You're back!"

"We're ALL back," Nikki corrected her. "And we brought some friends!"

Down on the ground, Dradarius looked up as his giants were destroyed, genuine shock taking over. The Gaia Zords soon warped away, an array of lights touching down to the ground as the Rangers teleported down to face his army. However, not only were the Gaia Rangers back, but backing them up were the Retro Rangers, all glaring holes into the opposition, who backed off enough for Jowar and Infernios to regroup with their allies.

"Rangers...!" Jowar exclaimed, getting to his feet. "I KNEW you would return!"

Nikki smiled, slapping a hand to the Wizard Ranger's shoulder. "Jowar, Infernios, Faye. You guys did great holding them off until we got back."

"Did you expect any less...?" Infernios inquired, clutching his arm.

"Not at all," Nikki replied. "But you've done your part. Faye, get Infernios back to the library."

Faye nodded, demorphing and handing both her blaster and crystal to Madilyn. "...Here. I think these are yours."

"Ooh, I've missed you SO much!" Madilyn cried, kissing her Crystal Blast Morpher. "I am NEVER letting you both go ever again!"

Layla rolled her eyes, giggling. "Until the next time you decide to put my girlfriend in harm's way, right?"

Faye smiled, kissing Layla deeply as she caressed her face. "Oh, Layla, I knew you were alive. I just knew it."

"Faye, I'm so proud of you," Layla replied, running her fingers through the Dryad's teal hair. "Now hurry back to the library."

Faye nodded, wrapping Infernios' good arm over her shoulder and helping him back to the Ancient Library. With them gone, the team all turned their attention back to Dradarius' forces, who were grouping up and preparing for another attack.

"So, you're the Emperor of Darkness I've heard so much about," Adam remarked.

"All terrible things, I'm sure," Dradarius replied with an evil grin.

"If by terrible, you mean making you out to be a deplorable person, then yes!" Mia yelled.

"You've been making an awful mess of two worlds, punk," Eric noted.

"And destroying the lives of people who never did anything to you," RJ added.

"On the contrary," Dradarius retorted, "they did something very deep and personal to me: They denied the darkness its rightful place as ruling element of this world, so I eliminated them all, every last person who ever stood against me."

"And yet, you didn't get rid of US," Patrick pointed out, "or our ancestors. That was a bad move, because now we're gonna make you wish you'd never even LOOKED at the Dark Throne."

"Watch your tongue, lowly 'Guardian'!" Arc roared, clearly incensed.

"Make him, 'Dark Pit'!" Dirk yelled back with a stomp.

"Enough!" Dradarius groaned, rubbing his temple. "This pre-battle bickering has gone on long enough. I gave the appointed Guardians of Gaia a chance to return home and be with their loved ones before the end, but clearly, that was an error on my part. Let's END this."

"That was the first and last thing we're gonna agree on today, Dradarius," Jowar declared.

With that, the Rangers all lined up, readying their respective Morphers as the enemies gathered in front of them, Nikki calling out "Okay, everyone! Let's take 'em all down!"

" **It's Morphin Time! Mastodon!** " Adam called as he thrust his Power Morpher forward, releasing a burst of energy that formed his Mighty Morphin Black Ranger suit around his clothes. The image of his helmet materialized in front of him, overlapping his head before forming the physical helmet.

" **Quantum Power!** " Eric ordered into his Quantum Morpher before throwing his fist skyward. A massive amount of energy exploded from it as his Quantum Ranger suit formed around him.

" **Ninja Storm! Ranger Form! Ha!** " Tori cried, spinning the disc on her Wind Morpher. A twister suddenly shot out from the Morpher, surrounding her as her Blue Wind Ranger suit materialized, ending with her helmet.

" **Dino Thunder! Power Up! Ha!** " Kira yelled, flipping the plate of her Dino Morpher open and hitting the red button, causing her body to be surrounded in a white light. She then did a back-flip as her Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger suit suddenly slapped itself on, ending with her helmet as she landed on her feet hard enough to make the ground beneath her crack.

" **Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!** " RJ roared, flipping the bell-like switch on his Wolf Morpher and summoning his Wolf Spirit. Said spirit then enveloped his body, becoming his Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger suit.

" **Samuraizer! Go Go Samurai!** " Mia exclaimed, using the light on the end of her Samuraizer to draw the kanji for sky, 天, in the air. She then gave the symbol a smack, spinning it around to face her, before it covered her body and transformed into her Pink Samurai Ranger suit.

" _ **Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_ " Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, Madilyn, and Drayden all shouted, thrusting their morphers into the air as a rainbow of energy spiraled up and around in the air before coming back down to the seven and granting them their Gaia Ranger forms as Jowar joined them. With all 13 Rangers morphed, they all struck a group pose as a giant explosion of energy went off behind them, the group calling out " ** _POWER RANGERS!_** "

"Show no mercy to any of them," Dradarius ordered, leading to him charging the group with his army of Blots and his generals at his side.

With the enemy charging them, the Rangers quickly leaped into action, splintering off into several smaller groups. Tori and Layla shot blasts of water from their respective Morphers at the Blots, keeping their backs to each other as they spun about and blasted foes down. Pretty soon, though, a group of about two dozen Blots started to charge them, their claws stretched outward as they were prepared to launch their nails.

" **Flood Launcher!** " Layla called, bringing out her massive blaster and firing a gigantic wave of watery energy at the Blots, knocking them back. "Tori, you're up!"

" **Ninja Sword!** " Tori shouted, drawing her blade and leaping up into the air. Just as the Blots got back to their feet, the Blue Wind Ranger struck them all down in a blue blur before landing behind them, sheathing her blade as her foes all fell in an explosion.

Nearby, Madilyn, Mia, and Kira were cutting down Blots with their Spin Sword, Gaia Saber, and Thundermax Saber. They soon found themselves knocked to the ground, though, when an arrow full of dark energy shot past them. Mia groaned as she dug her sword into the ground, lifting herself back up with it as Arc approached them, chuckling menacingly as he readied another arrow. Seeing this, the Pink Samurai Ranger opened her buckle, revealing a silver Power Disc with lightning patterns on it.

"Hope Jayden doesn't mind me borrowing this!" Mia exclaimed, setting the disc on her Spin Sword and spinning it hard, sending electricity running through it. " **Spin Sword! Lightning Fury!** "

" **Lightning Slash!** " Madilyn yelled, slapping her Thunderbird Crystal into her Gaia Saber. Together, the two made horizontal slashes as Arc released his arrow, sending out a thin blast of electricity that cut the arrow in half and knocked the Fallen Angel skyward.

"Get him, Kira!" Mia shouted, turning back to face the Yellow Ranger.

" **Super Dino Mode!** " Kira roared, suddenly gaining pterodactyl-like wings attached to the arms of her suit. The Pink and Violet Rangers quickly locked hands together as Kira leaped up, springing off their hands and sailing through the air with her sword in hand. Before Arc could react, she slashed him hard, sending him tumbling across the ground as Kira floated back down to the others. The trio exchanged a quick three-way high five before turning to get back to work on the Blots.

" **Dragon Buster!** " Drayden exclaimed, hacking away at Blots with his gigantic sword a few feet away.

" **Quantum Defender!** " Eric shouted, blasting down any shadows that came near him. Eventually, he and Drayden found themselves face-to-face after taking down several Blots on their own. "...Heh, guess we just can't help ourselves, huh?"

"Guess not," Drayden replied before spotting a pair of Mecha Bots sneaking up on Eric. "Look out!"

The twin Mecha Blots fired dark blasts at Eric, trying to catch him in the back. Luckily, Drayden managed to push him out of the way and block the blasts with the side of his Dragon Buster, knocking them harmlessly away. Seeing this, Eric quickly rolled back to his feet, raising his Morpher and hitting a button on it.

" **Mega Battle!** " Eric yelled, leaping toward the Mecha Blots as his gold and red armour appeared over his Ranger suit, grabbing hold of the armour's twin blades and slashing past the Mecha Blots.

" **Shadow Break!** " Drayden yelled, inserting his remaining Gaian Crystals in the Dragon Buster and cutting through the Mecha Blots' weakened armour with a single slash as he landed behind them.

"Your time's up!" the Quantum Ranger exclaimed as the Mecha Blots fell to the ground, engulfed in an explosion. Looking to his left, Eric and the Indigo Ranger grinned and exchanged a fist bump.

Elsewhere among the fighting groups, Patrick, RJ, and Dirk were taking on a mass of Blots by themselves. Just as he cut one down, however, Dirk instead found himself locked ax-to-ax with Spine, who shoved hard against him. Despite his strength, Dirk found himself behind pushed back, trying desperately to dig his feet into the dirt.

"Man, you've gotta be the baddest Dwarf I've ever seen!" Dirk admitted through grit teeth.

"You don't know the half of it, boy!" Spine exclaimed through a cocky grin.

"Yeah, well, you know what you don't know?" Dirk asked. "Your breath stinks, and I'm just stalling!"

Before Spine could really react, RJ and Patrick leaped over Dirk and came down on Spine, RJ slamming a knee into his face while Pat jabbed his Storm Lance at his chest. The combined attacks knocked Spine off-balance enough for Dirk to ram his Quake Ax's blunt side into the Dark General's gut, sending him tumbling across the ground. As soon as Spine managed to roll back onto his feet, RJ hit a button on his Wolf Morpher and gave a fierce uppercut, sending a spiral of purple energy at his opponent and blasting him several feet away.

"Nice shot!" Patrick exclaimed. "You have GOTTA teach me THAT someday!"

As the other Rangers continued to clean house on the Blots, however, Adam, Nikki, and Jowar were having a rougher time, having gone straight for Dradarius. Jowar charged the Usurper of the Dark Throne while unleashing a brilliant, blistering blast of light from his staff, but the moment he got close, Dradarius merely swung his arm and swatted him away like a fly. Adam and Nikki then leaped in with their Power Axe and Heat Sabers, but Dradarius squatted down and held both arms up, blocking both with ease.

"Did you think bringing more of your kind would be enough to stop me?" Dradarius inquired, sounding amused before leaping up and roundhouse kicking both to the ground, their weapons tumbling away.

"Okay, so maybe he's a LITTLE tough," Adam acknowledged, getting back to his feet. "But nothing I've never stood up against before."

"Heh, come then, Black Ranger," Dradarius taunted, waving his hand.

With a growl, Adam charged again, throwing a flurry of punches and kicks, which Dradarius blocked with one arm as the other was bent behind his back. Finally, Dradarius merely thrust a palm against the Black Ranger's chest, stunning him long enough to be grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. Before Dradarius could inflict further pain, though, Jowar leaped up and unleashed a barrage of light blasts from the Unimax Staff on the Dark Emperor, causing him to drop Adam as he took a step backward.

" **Radiance Blast!** " the Wizard Ranger shouted as he landed, aiming his staff at Dradarius and firing three spherical blasts of light. Dradarius batted them all aside, sending them off to explode elsewhere, but his armour was beginning to show smoke rising from it. Nikki then came running and jumping over Jowar, firing an arrow from her Heat Bow, and while Dradarius caught it, it nonetheless exploded in his face and caused the fingers of his left gauntlet to crumble apart. Finally, Adam followed that up with a blast from his Power Axe in cannon mode, catching Dradarius in the chest and sending him stumbling backward.

"You're annoying little pests, I'll grant you that," Dradarius admitted, his face starting to show anger. "But you all made a terrible mistake standing against me...!"

Slamming the ground with both fists, Dradarius sent dark electricity out through the ground too fast for the Rangers to dodge, causing them to be shocked hard and knocked to the ground. The Emperor's smirk returned, but it quickly faded again as he was blasted hard from behind. He turned to find the Quantum Ranger rushing him with his Mega Battle armour's blasters, firing upon him again, but this time, Dradarius simply caught the blasts and returned them, though Eric managed to leap up over the resulting explosions. Eric then slashed down hard with both his blades, but Dradarius raised both hands up, dark orbs of energy pulsing in them, and shattered Eric's weapons before kicking him hard in the gut, knocking him away and out of his Mega Battle mode.

"Is this REALLY the best that the Guardians of two worlds can do?" Dradarius demanded before the rest of the Rangers all regrouped around Eric, who started to get back to his feet.

"Time to go all out, guys!" Nikki yelled, getting nods from the other Gaia Rangers. " **Crystal Gauntlets!** "

With that, Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn all stepped forward and raised their right fists, their golden gauntlets materializing over them. They quickly inserted their Crystals into the gauntlets, calling out " _ **Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**_ " The crystals shone brilliantly before expanding to fit the larger circular compartment in the gauntlets, the light emblazoning them with the image of their matching Gaia Zords. The five Rangers then threw their fists up as golden light poured out over them, turning the silver on their belts and Gaia Sabers gold, adding gold trim to the top of their boots and golden armbands around their biceps, and changing their suits' main colours to shinier, more metallic colours.

" _ **Ultra Ray!**_ " the five called together, throwing their gauntleted fists forward and releasing streams of elemental light from each of their crystals that crossed together, forming a sphere of white light. The gigantic sphere collided with Dradarius, causing smoke to rise from his armour, but with a growl, he nonetheless grabbed hold of the sphere and began to lift it up off the ground.

"You've gotta be KIDDING me!" Mia exclaimed in disbelief.

"Everyone, let's add to the sphere's power!" Jowar shouted, aiming his staff at Dradarius. "Share your energy with me, and we'll blow him away for good!"

"Will that really work?" Tori asked.

"You heard Nikki before," RJ replied. "It's time to go all out."

"He's right," Kira said with a nod. "It's all or nothing time."

"Let's take this guy down!" Drayden yelled.

Together, the remaining Rangers all grabbed hold of Jowar's Unimax Staff, focusing their own powers through it. Black, red, blue, yellow, purple, pink, and indigo beams of light raced along the staff and entered the Light Crystal, causing it to shine a mighty golden light. With one collective yell, the Rangers launched a massive beam at the Ultra Ray, causing the sphere in Dradarius' hands to grow triple its original size. With a defiant cry, he fell back as the blast overwhelmed him, and he was engulfed in a massive explosion.

" _ **RANGERS FOREVER!**_ " the Power Rangers all declared in one voice as the explosion went off.

"We did it!" Madilyn cheered, leaping into the air.

"Don't be so sure," Adam interjected, pointing to the mass of fire. "Look!"

Sure enough, despite their celebrating, as the fire and smoke started to dissipate a bit, the Rangers watched in horror as the Usurper of the Dark Throne got back to his feet. However, most of his upper torso was now exposed, the explosion having blasted apart his armour, and his body looked a bit blackened as he glared at them in rage. To their shock and disgust, upon looking at Dradarius' chest, they saw a large, black crystal embedded in him, and massive veins bulging around it.

"What the heck is THAT?!" Eric demanded.

"It's...a Gaian Crystal!" Jowar realized, holding a hand to his mouth. "I've never seen one of that size, but there's no mistaking it!"

Dradarius stomped the ground hard, actually causing it to shake beneath him, his eyes twitching in murderous anger as they turned blood red. " **You! You are all mere insects before me! I WILL CRUSH YOU ALL!** "

"My Emperor!" Arc shouted as he and Spine raced to Dradarius' sides. "This encounter doesn't seem to be to our advantage anymore! Let's retreat for now!"

"He's right!" Spine acknowledged. "'He who fights and runs away', and all..."

Realizing his generals were right, Dradarius clasped a hand over the crystal embedded in his chest, causing a thick, black smokescreen to pour out, filling the area. Jowar and Drayden managed to get rid of it quickly, by both creating a brilliant light and absorbing the darkness of the smoke, but it was too little too late as the army of darkness was gone, and Dradarius' massive flying whale was seen leaving in the distance.

"He's getting away!" Dirk yelled. "We gotta stop him!"

"Guys, wait!" Madilyn shouted, pointing up in the sky in the opposite direction. "The portal!"

Sure enough, as the Rangers all looked up at the portal, it was beginning to shrink down again. Adam clenched a fist, knowing their time was nearly up. If they stayed, the portal would shrink down too small for them to leave through. However, the only chance they had of taking down Dradarius immediately was for all 13 of them to go after him while he was weakened.

"...Go," Nikki said with a sigh, catching the Retro Rangers' attention. "You've gotta get back home, or you could end up stuck here."

Adam blinked, removing his helmet. "...Are you sure?"

Nikki nodded as she and the others all took their helmets off, too. "Earth needs you guys. Besides, we might need a second front on Earth in case Dradarius' influence gets to be too bad."

"But that would mean leaving you guys to deal with him alone," Kira pointed out.

Patrick shrugged. "Hey, it's cool. We decided a long time ago this was gonna be our problem to deal with."

The Retro Rangers nodded, understanding. One by one, they each walked up and shook the hands of the Gaia Rangers, exchanging knowing glances with one another that this wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other. Finally, Adam and the others turned and walked toward the portal as it hung overhead, putting their helmets back on.

"Oh wait, your spare gi!" Nikki realized. "I never gave it back!"

Adam smiled, looking back over his shoulder at the Guardian of Fire. "...Hang onto it. And I expect to see you in my dojo when you make it back home."

Realizing what he meant, Nikki blushed a little, but nonetheless gave a small bow to her new teacher. With that, Adam and the rest of the Retro Rangers looked up at the portal and, with one mighty leap, all entered it just seconds before it closed up, shrinking to a size far too small to be seen with human eyes. With a deep breath, Nikki turned back to her fellow Guardians of Gaia, and gave one simple order.

"...Let's go home."

* * *

Sitting upon his throne, Dradarius rested his chin on folded hands as Blots went about repairing his armour. His mind was still going over the battle that had occurred in Everbright, and how, for the first time in he couldn't even recall how long, he'd been repelled. The Power Rangers had overcome his incredible strength, bested his Dark Generals, broken his army, and actually forced him to retreat back to his castle.

Yet, as he felt his armour being placed back onto his torso, it wasn't rage that the Emperor of Darkness felt at this defeat, nor humiliation. Instead, a dark smile began to form on his face. He looked upon the mirror in the center of the throne room, which showed the image of the Ancient Library to all who looked upon it, his eyes making his sadistic glee apparent to anyone who saw them.

"...Finally," Dradarius muttered. "After all these years, there's finally an enemy out there worth my time..."

"So, we're going to have some fun with them after all?" Shroud asked as she emerged from behind the Dark Throne, lazily dragging her claws across the Emperor's chest plate.

"Yes, Shroud, I believe we will," the Usurper of the Dark Throne replied, leaning back into it. "It will be glorious tearing them apart."

Shroud grinned evilly. "Good...because you know just how much I adore breaking poor Jowar's heart and mind into tiny little pieces, and letting you do the same to his body."

"You take far too much joy in your work," Dradarius stated matter-of-factly, though maintaining a similar grin, "...'Annabella'."

* * *

"...So, how is everyone recovering?" Nikki asked Jowar as the two made their way through the halls of the Ancient Library.

"Fairly well, actually," Jowar replied. "They should be ready to return to their homes soon. Of course, they've all agreed to stay in touch in case we ever need to call on them again."

"And the others that didn't make it?" Nikki inquired.

"If they're still out there, we'll find them," Jowar answered with a sigh, stroking his beard. "In the meantime, I suggest we prepare ourselves for the next attack. Dradarius will not take the result of the last battle well, I can assure you. Now that the true war has begun, he will not rest until victory is his, and he will use every last method available to him to see it done, no matter how deplorable."

"Well, we wanted his attention," Nikki retorted as the two entered the central room of the library. "I guess we should've been more careful of what we wished for."

"You made the right decision, going after Walker," Jowar assured her. "It was a necessary step to stopping Dradarius."

Nikki nodded, looking the old wizard in the eye. "...Jowar, I...I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

Jowar shook his head, holding up a hand. "You did the best you could, Nichelle. No one could ask more of you. And besides, Walker is too much like...well, ALL of his parents, really. I'm sure that if there was a way to survive, he did."

"Think there's any way he'll come around if he did?" Madilyn asked as she and Patrick walked up to meet the two. "I mean, he's not exactly on Dradarius' best friend list anymore."

"I wish I could say for certain," Jowar replied honestly. "But after so many years in the dark..."

"They will," Patrick said confidently. "I believe in them both."

Madilyn rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Pat really meant to say, but before she could pick on him for that, a loud thud from Layla's lab got her attention. "...What was that?"

Curious, the four headed into Layla's lab, their faces becoming stunned at what they saw: Dirk and Drayden lifting and moving what looked to be incredibly hi-tech and expensive computers and machines around as Layla and Faye directed them. Both looked a bit exhausted, and perhaps a bit aggravated as Layla kept changing her mind as to what should go where.

"...Sis?" Mad asked as she and the others entered. "Where did all of this come from?"

Layla smiled, turning to face Madilyn. "I had Doctor K teleport some of her equipment into the Behemoth Zord's interior before we returned to Gaia-"

"Thanks for asking, by the way!" Dirk interjected sarcastically.

"...so I could use it to make improvements on our weapons and tech, and maybe even figure out a way to piggyback on Earth's signal to get back home when this is all over," Layla finished. "Not to mention, the tools I was using before were kind of basic. Aren't the Dwarves of Gaia supposed to be able to make better stuff than this?"

"Unfortunately, the only Dwarven clan left that can produce the kind of equipment you're referring to are the Metallurk, and they craft for the highest bidder," Jowar answered. "Which, more often than not, is Dradarius."

"Ah, so good to know mankind isn't the only practitioner of capitalism," Patrick snarked.

Nikki pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly looking aggravated on the outside. But, on the inside, she couldn't have been happier. For, despite everything that had happened in the past couple of days, at least everything felt like it was returning to the normalcy she'd come to expect while in Gaia. And, for this exact moment, that was more than enough for her.

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ And that was Always A Ranger. I hope you all enjoyed this three part beginning to Season 2 as much as I enjoyed writing it. And, in case I hadn't made it clear before, from here on out, it's JUST the Gaia Rangers. The Retro Rangers will not be recurring characters, although I am admittedly on the fence as to whether I want Doctor K to cameo later on, but that's simply because I love Doctor K. lol

I should also note that the TV Tropes page I made for Guardians of Gaia now has a WMG (wild mass guessing) section. So, from here on out, if you have a theory on what you think is going to happen in the story later on, you can either add it to the section yourself (if you have a profile on TV Tropes), or post it in the reviews to be added to said section by either myself or my proofreader.

Lastly, regarding Faye, as I said, her becoming a Ranger was only temporary. However, she WILL be getting in on the action from time to time in the future, and I'm still contemplating making her a full-time Ranger later on.

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, Dradarius decides to test the Rangers' mettle by pitting one of his newest and most powerful Lightless against them, but is he really looking to finish this in one battle, or is he after something else? Ja né!


	4. Crying Out For Mummy

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

A single scream echoed through the air of North Market City, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Gnomes, Night Elves, and Centaurs ran for their lives as a massive squad of Blots charged through the streets, led by a pair of Lightless, a Panther and a Liger. The monsters knocked over stands and destroyed goods as they made their way through the city, smacking away anyone brave enough to attack them, until they came to the city square, where they were faced with two figures standing before a group of frightened people: The Guardians of Fire and Darkness, both morphed and standing with their weapons ready.

"Just so you know, you break it, you buy it," Nikki stated, gripping her Heat Sabers.

Drayden smirked under his helmet, resting his Dragon Buster on his shoulder. "On the plus side, you might not have shoes or shirts, but you're about to receive a service."

The army of darkness merely roared in defiance, rushing the two. Without any hesitance, the Red and Indigo Rangers leaped into the large crowd of monsters, immediately slashing down any Blots that came their way. There had to be hundreds of them, maybe hundreds of hundreds, and yet, they were no match for the duo, who stood back-to-back while cutting down foes. Within a mere matter of a few minutes, Nikki and Drayden had destroyed all the Blots, leaving only the two Lightless.

"Let's wrap this up!" Nikki shouted, summoning her Crystal Gauntlet and inserting the Phoenix Crystal in the top. " **Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!** "

As the Phoenix Crystal became engulfed in light, increasing in size to fit the gauntlet and having the Phoenix symbol emblazoned on it, Nikki threw her fist up in the air, the light transforming her suit into its Mineral Mode. As she did this, Drayden inserted the Dragon, Wolf, and Lion Crystals in the hilt of his sword and then closed it, the crystals spinning around in the compartment. He gripped the sword tightly in both hands as Nikki drew her Crystal Blast Morpher and Gaia Saber, the power of her crystal pouring into both.

" **Fire Blast & Slash!**" Nikki called, firing a bullet-shaped blast of fire from her blaster before releasing a wave of heat from her sword.

" **Shadow Break!** " Drayden roared, cutting straight down and sending out an indigo, white, and black slash of dark energy. The three attacks all merged together in a four-pointed star of white hot flames and collided with the Liger and Panther Lightless, obliterating them immediately. With their work done, the two Rangers took off their helmets and exchanged a fist bump.

"Good job," Nikki said with a warm smile. "I know I can always win with you around, Drayden."

"Of course!" Drayden replied, smiling back. "You can always count on me, Nikki. I promise, I'll ALWAYS have your back."

Nikki blushed slightly, letting her fingers intertwine with the Indigo Ranger's. "I know. I feel closer to you than anyone else on the team. You're so dependable, and...I feel like you match me perfectly."

Drayden nodded, feeling himself draw closer to the Guardian of Fire. "I feel the same way about you. I feel like...like I've never felt about anyone before."

"Oh, Dray..." Nikki moaned in a hushed voice as Drayden put a hand to her hip, their lips starting to close in on each other. "Drayden...DRAYDEN!"

Drayden's eyes shot open as he sat up, a piece of paper stuck to the side of his face. Looking around, he found himself sitting at the table in the main chamber of the Ancient Library, his team-mates all looking at him with glances ranging from the quizzical to the amused. All save for Nikki, who looked a little irritated at him.

"...I-I'm sorry, you were saying?" Drayden asked, peeling the paper from his face.

Nikki crossed her arms, looking unamused. "I WAS going over this week's attack record, but clearly, someone found that a bit too boring."

Drayden blushed hard, bowing his head a little. "I'm sorry, I must not have gotten enough sleep last night..."

"...Well, I guess we're ALL kind of running on fumes lately," Nikki acknowledged, turning back to the Viewing Globe as a few areas in Gaia were highlighted with red circles. "Blot attacks have actually gone up lately, and they aren't just the standard variety anymore. Venom and Mecha Blots are starting to come out more casually, too."

"I thought the point of removing Walker from the equation was to DECREASE the number of attacks," Dirk pointed out. "At this point, you'd never know one of Dradarius' major players was taken out of the game."

"Well, we also might've handed Dradarius his first real smacking down in a LONG time just recently," Layla reminded the Guardian of Earth. "That MIGHT be encouraging him to enter try-hard mode. Except this isn't an RTS where it's costing him any money or resources to build up armies."

"Yeah, but he HAS to have a limit," Patrick noted. "So where's he getting all this energy?"

Nikki looked around at her team, reading their glances. "...We're all thinking the same thing?"

"That crystal," Drayden acknowledged, getting nods. "That HAS to be the source of his power. It might even be the source of his longevity. Even the dark races of the Dark Zones don't live as long as he has."

Nikki sighed, turning to Jowar. "Any luck finding any information on that thing?"

Jowar shook his head. "Charles and I have been reading through every last document in the library, and we haven't found ANYTHING relating to a giant black Gaian Crystal."

"But it IS a Gaian Crystal?" Madilyn asked. "I mean, that much we're absolutely sure of?"

"Yes," Jowar answered, stroking his beard. "If there any doubts in my mind, they were erased when I saw that sky whale they escaped on."

"You think it's a Gaia Zord?" Layla inquired.

"Well, 11 IS an odd number to end on," Dirk remarked. "I suppose we all should've seen a twelfth one coming."

Nikki put her hands to her hips, exhaling hard through her nose. "Probably. Anyway, for now, we just need to keep up with the research. The answer's out there. We just need to find it."

The others all nodded in agreement before getting up to leave, Nikki turning back to the Viewing Globe. Everyone went their own way, save for Madilyn, who followed quickly after Drayden as he headed off to find his father in the garden. She tugged on the back of his shirt, getting his attention and grinning impishly.

"...So, you know you talk in your sleep?" Madilyn asked, causing Drayden to blush terribly. "Lucky for you, no one else heard it...Well, MAYBE Patrick, but don't expect him to make a thing about it."

Drayden groaned. "Unlike YOU, who feels the need to torment me about it..."

Mad grinned more widely, jumping up onto Drayden's back and wrapping her arms around his head. "I'm just trying to be your helpful guide through your painful trek into the world of unrequited love! Mind you, that's only because you don't SAY anything to her."

"And I'm just trying to figure out why you seem to care so much," Drayden replied, easing Madilyn back down. "Someone maybe trying to make up for their own past unrequited love?"

It was now Madilyn's turn to turn bright red, looking away desperately. "I-I have no idea what you're implying!"

"Uh-huh," Drayden scoffed. "Whatever. I'll talk to Nikki if and when I feel like it. Good enough for you?"

Mad harrumphed, crossing her arms. "Well, I guess I'll make due with that much."

"Good," Drayden muttered, taking his leave from the flustered young woman. Madilyn, in turn, rolled her eyes, and turned to leave in the other direction, only to come face-to-face with Patrick, much to her surprise.

"P-Patrick?!" Madilyn nearly shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you," Pat replied, "although I prefer to be a bit more discreet about it. So, is he gonna talk to her?"

Madilyn frowned, fists on her hips. "I dunno. That guy's a hard nut to crack."

"Well, he's doing a poor job hiding how he feels," Patrick noted. "Half the team already knows what's going on with him. I mean, why bother keeping it a secret at all?"

"I KNOW!" Madilyn responded. "He's so stubborn and childish about this!"

Patrick smirked. "...Kinda like you?"

Madilyn scoffed, pointing a finger in Patrick's face. "Kinda like YOU, is more like it."

Just as Patrick was about to retort, all of a sudden, Dirk walked into the hall they were both standing in, carrying a big wooden sign behind his back. Without saying so much as a word, he simply walked up to the two, held up the sign, allowing them to read the one word on it, ' **IRONY!** ', and then walked away, leaving the two to just awkwardly stand around and wonder what that was all about.

* * *

Dradarius tapped his fingers across the armrests of his throne, watching as Blots were being outfitted with the armour of the Mecha Blots. This was going to be a necessary upgrade to his forces that, while not being as large in supply as ordinary Blots, would still reap great rewards. After all, when Mecha Blots were destroyed, the darkness that formed them usually created massive Blob Blots, meaning any Lightless he turned giant sized would have immediate aid. However, that was only part one of advancing their forces.

"Spine," Dradarius muttered, looking over to his Dwarven Dark General. "Have the new Lightless figurines been tested?"

Spine nodded as he bowed. "Preliminary tests show they're ready for use in the field. I even modeled some of them after creatures and figures that have become rather infamous sources of horror on Earth. Unfortunately, we have a slight problem."

The Usurper of the Dark Throne cocked an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"Well, it's just...our remaining Shadowmancers," Spine explained. "I'm afraid they lack Walker's talent as it pertained to awakening and maintaining Lightless."

Dradarius chuckled lowly, pulling himself up from his throne. "And who, may I ask, do you think it was who taught Walker everything he knew about Shadowmancy?"

Spine gulped. "...Yes, of course."

"My Emperor," Arc declared as he entered the throne room with a pair of Mecha Blots, bowing before Dradarius. "I believe we've found a suitable target for the next attack."

"Very good," Dradarius replied. "The past few attacks have shown us a bit more of the new Guardians' limits. I believe our first goal in eliminating them is to first be rid of Gaia's last wizard. With the most talented user of the light gone, the rest will follow."

"Based on reports, it seems that Jowar's only real means of power is the Light Crystal he carries," Arc explained. "However, said powers are likely quite limited outside of Everbright."

"Then our first goal should be to draw him out of his library," Dradarius said with an evil grin. "...Spine. Prepare the Mummy Lightless. It will be the perfect executioner of this plan."

Spine gave a quick bow before taking his leave, going to fetch the Lightless figurine. However, as he left, he failed to take notice as a single Mecha Blot watched him leaving and a bright red light lighting up over its visor as it watched on.

* * *

Walker sighed, watching in his new cavern lair as the footage of the events in the throne room of Abyssial Fortress played out over a small handheld device. "Tch. I miss my fireplace. It showed me exactly what I wanted to see when I wanted to see it, and it wasn't so small."

"Oh, deal with it," Darkea said rather grumpily, taking a seat on a rock. "At least we HAVE a means to see what's going on, and that took calling in just about every last favour we had within the empire."

"True," Walker acknowledged. "And the timing couldn't have been better, since your father's started making more and more Blots into Mecha Blots. And, thanks to this little device, we can see anything they see."

"And with so many Mecha Blots around the castle, father won't be able to organize dinner without us knowing what he'll be eating," Darkea joked before her eyes widened. "...Wait, why don't we just have his food poisoned then? Get rid of him that way?"

Walker groaned loudly, burying his face in the palm of his hand. "Do you honestly think that NO ONE has tried that before? One, getting poison into the castle is hard enough, two, finding a poison powerful enough to kill Dradarius is near impossible, and three, a poison that powerful would be too quick for me. I want to see him SUFFER longer than that."

Darkea's eye twitched, a bit disturbed by this, but let it go, instead saying "...Well, at least we can watch what he's doing from now on. We'll leave the job of keeping him occupied for now up to the Rangers."

"There IS one other thing we can do for now, though," Walker pointed out. "Dradarius' forces occupy the zone the Dark Chamber resided in, and apparently, he picked what was left of the chamber rather clean, but there's something I hid that was unlikely to be destroyed, and if he'd found it, I'm sure we'd know. Could you by any chance be a dear and fetch it for me?"

Darkea sighed, her shoulders slumping. "...Brother, do me a favour and let me know the INSTANT you're mobile again, PLEASE?"

Walker smirked deviously at his sister. "Oh, trust me, if this mission goes as planned, then you'll know when I'm feeling better..."

* * *

Professor Snyder smiled as he put his glass down on a table with a large stack of books on it, having listened to Drayden explain his current plight for the better part of an hour. "...So, what exactly is it you want to ask me?"

"I just wanna know, when is it usually an appropriate time to tell a girl what you really think of her?" Drayden asked, leaning against a windowsill.

"I don't think there's a proven case where one time has a better success rate than another," Charles replied with a chuckle. "Really, I think what you're asking is if an appropriate time exists in this particular situation period."

"...Maybe?" Drayden conceded. "I mean, she IS my leader. It'd be like being on a naval vessel and trying to ask out the captain."

Charles sighed, but before he could suggest anything comforting to his son, the sound of the torches in the main chamber roaring caught their attention. Heading there, they found the rest of the Rangers all standing by as Jowar identified the source of the trouble: A Gnome settlement to the north under attack by a squad of about a dozen Mecha Blots.

"Well, THEY'VE upgraded," Layla observed.

"I'll watch over the battle from here, unless things get too hectic," Jowar said to the team. "Good luck, and let the power protect you."

Nikki nodded, reaching for her chain as the others followed suit. " **It's Morphin Time!** "

At this call, the team pulled their crystals from their chains and inserted them inside their morphers. They then raised their morphers skyward and yelled out " _ **Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!**_ " Six rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around each other in the air, before doubling back and coating the team with energy, their Ranger suits materializing over their clothes. Once morphed, they were immediately teleported to the town, arriving in front of the Mecha Blots.

"Let's send these scrap-pile shadows back to the junkyard!" Nikki ordered, the team forming up in a line to her sides. With this, the two forces charged each other, swords slamming into energy shields. Patrick and Dirk quickly teamed up to take a pair on near the edge of a hill, Dirk going low with his Gaia Saber while Patrick went high, catching the Mecha Blots across the visors and cracking them. With the two monsters disoriented, Dirk was able to shoulder tackle against their shields hard enough to send them tumbling down the hill and into a lake, which shorted out their systems.

"Well, looks like these Blots are-" Dirk started to say before Pat's hand slapped onto his shoulder.

"Dirk, please, I'm begging you, DO NOT say 'they're all washed up'," Patrick pleaded before leaving to face more Mecha Blots.

The Orange Ranger lifted a finger, about to retort, but let his hand drop to his side pathetically. "Yeah, okay..."

A few feet away, Madilyn and Layla were battling against their own pair of cybernetic shadows, the Violet Ranger having already traded her Crystal Blast Morpher for the Blue Ranger's Gaia Saber. Layla opened fire on the Mecha Blots, who were quick to block with their energy shields, but Mad flipped up and over her sister and the monsters, cutting the tubes filled with Ebony Venom apart. As the Mecha Blots found themselves running out of power, Layla unleashed a charged up blast of water while Madilyn slashed them with a lightning-filled cut, the two attacks sandwiching them and blowing them apart.

"Who's next?!" Madilyn cheered before turning around to face a trio of Mecha Blots converging on the two Guardians.

"Sis, you're not allowed to ask that anymore," Layla muttered under her breath, the two readying their weapons.

Meanwhile, Nikki and Drayden were busy with a quartet of Mecha Blots in the center of the small town. Despite being outnumbered, the two stood back-to-back and slashed at anything coming their way, Drayden with his Dragon Buster and Nikki with her Gaia Saber, both containing their primary crystals inside. Finally, they managed to score hits on all four of the Mecha Blots' tubes, causing them to rapidly empty while they stood in a circle around the duo.

" _ **Double-mental Slash!**_ " the Red and Indigo Rangers hollered, spinning with their swords and cutting across all four Mecha Blots, causing them to fall to the ground in fiery explosions.

"Yeah!" Drayden shouted cheerfully, holding a fist out for Guardian of Fire. "Good job!"

Nikki blinked, but hesitantly fist bumped the Guardian of Darkness. "Uh, thanks, Captain Exuberant."

Cursing himself mentally as Nikki ran off, Drayden soon followed, the two catching up with the rest of the Rangers as they stood off against the final four Mecha Blots. Before the six Guardians of Gaia could charge them, one Mecha Blot held out a small figurine, which began to absorb the darkness from its fallen fellow shadows.

"Oh no, it's changing into a Lightless!" Drayden observed as the other three remaining Mecha Blots were also absorbed, their mechanical parts falling to the ground. Finally, the last Mecha Blot absorbed the figurine into its body, causing it to transform as a dark fog surrounded it. When it was over, the Blot was gone, replaced by an eggplant-coloured, horrid-looking mummy wrapped in dark grey, almost diseased-looking, bandages. The Mummy Lightless roared, stretching its new body.

"A mummy?!" Patrick demanded. "I thought all the Lightless were based off of animals and mythological creatures!"

"Guess they must be trying something new," Nikki suggested, just as the Mummy Lightless let out another roar and charged the team. "Whatever it is, let's take it down like all the rest!"

Despite this proclamation, though, the six found themselves knocked around like punching bags as the Mummy Lightless raced up to them, swinging its arms around. Not only that, but as Dirk and Drayden were soon to learn, attempts to punch it back were like hitting brick walls with their bare fists, and the two were almost certain they'd both broken something in their hands before being promptly knocked back down again. Nikki and Patrick both threw kicks at the monster's head, but it was unfazed as it swatted both away.

"Let's see how he does against this!" Dirk yelled, hitting his buckle and calling out his axe. " **Quake Ax!** "

With a roar, the Orange Ranger swung his axe at the Mummy Lightless' abdomen, smacking it hard and sending sparks flying from the mighty hit. However, hard as it was, it seemingly did nothing to the monster, who merely kicked Dirk away, knocking his weapon aside. Then, the Lightless' bandages suddenly came unraveled around its left arm, shot out, and latched onto the axe, dragging the weapon to it and keeping it tied to the creature's body.

"HEY!" Dirk shouted. "Give that back, you creep!"

" **Dragon Buster!** " Drayden yelled, preparing to hack the Lightless apart.

" **Storm Lance!** " Patrick called, drawing his lance and leaping up, aiming for the monster's head. However, before either he or Drayden could land a blow, they were both knocked away as the Mummy Lightless' bandages sprung free and hit them both square in the chest before taking their weapons away. While it was distracted, however, the monster received a massive water blast from Layla's Flood Launcher, right to the side of the head, just before Madilyn leaped up and jabbed her Lightning Daggers into its shoulders.

"Take that, you horror-movie reje-" the Violet Ranger started to say cockily before the Mummy Lightless' bandages wrenched her daggers free before sending her crashing into her sister, then picking up the later's Flood Launcher.

" **Heat Bow!** " Nikki exclaimed, readying an ignited arrow and aiming it for the Lightless' back. Hearing her, though, the Mummy Lightless freed up its bandages and sent them at her, just as she was about to fire. However, catching sight of this exchange about to occur, Drayden ran in, tackling Nikki out of the way of the bandages.

"You alright?" Drayden asked as Nikki shook off being tackled.

"Why did you-" the Red Ranger started to ask before looking past Drayden's shoulder. "Look out!"

Before Drayden could react, a pair of bandages wrapped around his ankles and hauled him up and into the air. As it did this, though, Nikki rushed up and, separating the Heat Bow into her twin Heat Sabers, slashed the Mummy Lightless across the right arm, where its bandages had come somewhat unraveled, causing it to moan in pain and back off a bit. However, it refused to let Nikki follow this up, slamming Drayden into her and sending them both tumbling end over end downhill. The Mummy Lightless then scooped up the Heat Sabers, latching them to its body as it slowly walked down the hill towards the two, the other Rangers regrouping around them.

"Man, this thing's tough!" Dirk groaned, clutching his arm.

"Let's try Mineral Mode!" Layla suggested, reaching her hand up to summon her Crystal Gauntlet.

"No!" Nikki ordered, slowly getting up as the monster approached them. "It'll just take our Gauntlets too, and our crystals with them!"

"And he's already got mine with my Dragon Buster!" Drayden pointed out as Dirk helped him up.

The six Guardians of Gaia backed up a bit as the Mummy Lightless sauntered toward them, the bandages holding their weapons coming loose and raising them up overhead, threatening to attack them with their own weapons. Fortunately, before it could, a series of golden rays shot down from the sky and blasted the creature hard, knocking it away. The Rangers looked to the source, spotting Jowar flipping through the air and landing at their side, already morphed into the Wizard Ranger.

"Jowar!" Patrick cheered. "Good timing!"

"Thought you could use some assistance!" Jowar replied, keeping his Unimax Staff held out toward the Lightless. "I'd have been here sooner, but I had to make sure the Gnomes were evacuated to safety first!"

"Be careful, this one's pretty tough!" Mad cautioned.

Jowar nodded, readying his staff for battle. The Mummy Lightless roared as it got back up, charging the Wizard Ranger. Jowar managed to block its swings with his staff, but was then knocked aside by a bandage holding the Quake Ax, hitting him in the shoulder with the blunt side. However, Jowar was able to roll back to his feet and fire a blast of light into the monster's side, scorching its bandages. He then leaped forward, looking to catch the Lightless in the gut, but was cut off by the Dragon Buster getting swung his way, slashing him hard and sending sparks off his suit as he fell back to the ground.

"Ugh, it's no good," Jowar groaned, fighting to get back up. "My powers are already starting to fade...!"

Spotting its opportunity, the Mummy Lightless immediately launched a number of bandages forward, striking the Guardian of Light hard and knocking him backward before wrenching his staff away. Spotting their mentor getting knocked onto his back, the Rangers quickly got between him and the monster, Layla and Drayden helping him to his feet.

"This is no good!" Nikki exclaimed. "Back to the library! We've gotta regroup and come up with a new plan!"

The others hesitated, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. Using their communicators, they teleported away, leaving the Mummy Lightless alone in the abandoned town. It tilted its head back and roared with triumph, the Rangers' weapons clutched in its bandages.

* * *

"Well, THAT couldn't have gone much worse..." Dirk groaned as he plopped down into a chair, he and the others having demorphed once reaching the library.

"Tell me about it," Layla replied, looking over the Viewing Globe. "The Gnomes all lost their homes, and we're out our weapons and two crystals!"

"Unfortunately, without our crystals, both Drayden and I will be unable to morph," Jowar pointed out, causing Drayden to look down at the ground and let out a depressed sigh. "It's going to be up to the rest of you to find some way to get them back, as well as destroy the Mummy Lightless before it can do anymore damage."

Nikki clenched her fists in anger before looking to the Guardian of Darkness. "...Drayden, I wanna have a word with you. In private."

Drayden suddenly felt his blood turn cold, catching his leader's look. He might not have been with the team for very long, but he knew that expression pretty decently. Nonetheless, with a gulp, he nodded, following her to the hall leading to the bell tower. Once they were gone, everyone else currently not sitting awkwardly took seats, likewise knowing what was waiting for Drayden.

"Hoo boy, I do NOT wanna be Drayden right now," Madilyn muttered. "I've been on the receiving end of a lecture from Nikki in that bell tower before. It's not fun."

Jowar stroked his beard, looking perplexed. "I'm confused. Is there some sort of issue between those two I'm unaware of?"

Patrick scoffed, resting his hands on the table. "Something like that..."

* * *

Dradarius grinned, clutching a fist as it burned with dark energy while watching the events unfold over the mirror. "There! Now, without his precious Light Crystal and Unimax Staff, Jowar will no longer be a threat to us!"

"My Emperor, we should recall the Mummy Lightless and have the weapons and crystals in its keeping destroyed," Arc suggested. "Then they'll be severely handicapped."

"I've got a better idea," Spine said with a smirk. "Why not sic the Mummy Lightless on Everbright and watch the Rangers be taken out with their own weapons? Its already proven to be completely unstoppable, and can easily take the rest of their weapons if they try to fight back as well."

"Both are sound plans," Dradarius admitted, "but, to be honest, I rather like the idea of defeating the Guardians of Gaia through such a humiliating method...Very well! The Rangers will fall on this day!"

* * *

"...So, you wanna tell me what that tackle was all about?" Nikki inquired, glaring a hole through Drayden's head as the two reached the top of the bell tower.

"I was just trying to help, okay?" Drayden replied, rubbing his arm. "Those bandages were coming right at you!"

"Except my arrow would've hit way sooner than Arnold Vosloo back there!" Nikki insisted.

"...Who?" Drayden asked, utterly confused.

"From The Mummy!" Nikki answered, still a bit angry while also appearing somewhat embarrassed. "With Brendan Fraser?"

"...The Rock was in the sequel, right?" Drayden guessed. "As the really bad CG effect?"

"Right, but we're getting off-topic!" Nikki pointed out. "I didn't need you to save me, and if you hadn't stepped in, I might've gotten a shot in!"

Drayden groaned, fidgeting slightly. "...You're right. I'm sorry. I messed up. I just, I thought you were in danger, and I just...acted."

Nikki sighed, taking herself down a notch. "It's not about what you did, Drayden. I just wanna know why. You're not one to act so rashly."

"...Uh, hello?" Drayden asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you even REMEMBER the terms by which we first met? I was tricked into being possessed by a 1000+ year old Shadowmancer and nearly destroying you guys, just so I could feel like my own person."

Thinking that over, Nikki's shoulders slumped slightly. "...Okay, point taken. But usually, you're a bit more level-headed in battles. It's something I'm used to being able to rely on. Was I wrong to think that?"

"No," Drayden said quickly, looking away. "I just...I didn't wanna see you get hurt."

Nikki's eyes narrowed, crossing her arms as she began to feel a bit more aggravated. "...If this is gonna turn into some kind of macho chivalry thing, let me save you the trouble: I am NOT a damsel in distress. I'm the Red Ranger for a reason."

"I know that," Drayden replied, resting his hands on a windowsill. "I just...you spend so much time and effort looking out for everyone else on the team, and sometimes, it feels like you don't think much of protecting yourself. And I get it, you're the leader, and you NEED to think of everyone else first. Not that you wouldn't anyway, mind you. It's something I really admire about you. Well, that and the whole super-hot glamazo-"

Almost immediately, Drayden felt his throat try to close itself up as he realized what he'd just let slip. Nervously, he very slowly turned his head and looked over at Nikki, who was just standing there, hands on her hips, also looking a bit awkward, and yet was also just the slightest bit amused at the sight of the Guardian of Darkness looking like he had just wet himself.

"...And by 'super-hot', I, of course, mean the fire thing," Drayden rather pathetically lied to the point where he didn't even know why he was bothering.

Rubbing her temple slightly and giving a small, halfhearted smile, Nikki walked over to the Indigo Ranger. "...Drayden, you're a really nice guy, but..."

"But I'm not your type," Drayden guessed, looking back out the window. "I get it."

"No, you don't," Nikki replied somewhat nervously, standing next to Drayden and looking out at the sun. "The truth is...I'm not YOUR type. I'm probably not ANYONE's type."

Drayden blinked, looking back at his leader. "What do you mean?"

Nikki rubbed the back of her neck, sighing as she prepared to explain. "I mean...I don't like the idea of kissing guys. Or girls. Or anything, for that matter. I mean, a peck on the cheek or forehead is one thing, but the idea of making out or the like is just awkward and wrong to me. Hugs would probably be nice, but I get that enough from my friends anyway. Holding hands...well, maybe that'd be okay, but I'd definitely need it back after a while. Maybe even cuddling. I mean, I see Layla and Faye do it and it looks nice. And while I could see myself maybe one day wanting a baby, making one would probably feel less like an enjoyable experience for me and more like a chore."

Drayden just stood there, taking this all in, until he felt that Nikki was done talking for now, feeling it was his time to say something. "...So, are you saying you're asexual?"

"...Do we NEED to put a term to it?" Nikki asked, sounding a little sad as she rested her chin on her arms. "Besides, there ARE asexuals who might take pleasure out of...that. It's just not me is all. I have zero drive whatsoever, and I don't think I ever will."

"And this automatically makes you not my type?" Drayden inquired.

"Well, most people tend to be kinda touchy-feely with their significant others," Nikki defended.

"And what, you think I'm so shallow that I NEED that?" Drayden demanded.

Nikki's eyes narrowed, looking directly into Drayden's. "I suppose next you're gonna tell me you never think of it."

"Never said I didn't," the Guardian of Darkness reminded his leader. "Just that I didn't NEED it. Besides, what I think about you or what I might fantasize about has nothing to do with whether or not I think I can 'have' you are not, it has to do with the kind of person you are. And I...I think you're a wonderful person who cares a lot about so many people, and you're someone I'd like to get to know better, and it doesn't have to include the touchy-feely stuff if that bothers you."

Nikki smiled, blushing a little. "That's really sweet, Drayden. But...I don't know. I just need some time to think about...everything."

"I know," Drayden replied. "And I promise, I'm not gonna colossally mess up like I did today. It's just, would it kill you to, at the very least, have someone to watch your back while you're watching out for everyone else?"

"I think that might be doable," Nikki answered. "Now, what do you say we meet up with the others and work out a way to get our weapons back."

"Good idea," Drayden said with a chuckle, turning back to the hall. "I feel completely exposed without my sword."

Nikki rolled her eyes at that comment, about to make a smart remark, when suddenly, her mind flashed back to the battle. Specifically, she recalled how the act of slashing the Mummy Lightless across the arm while its bandages were loose had seemingly done more to hurt it than anything else they'd tried in that entire battle, even getting hit by Jowar's light. Realizing this, she smacked herself in the forehead with her palm hard.

"Oh, good GRIEF, I'm stupid!" Nikki groaned, albeit with a smile.

"Why, what's going on?" Drayden asked, baffled.

"I'll explain on the way, c'mon!" Nikki yelled, grabbing Drayden by the hand and hauling him back to the main chamber, much to the latter's embarrassment.

* * *

The Mummy Lightless let out a loud, menacing growl as it entered Everbright. It immediately started hacking down trees with the Dragon Buster and Heat Sabers, causing them to fall dead to the ground. After a while, though, it found itself standing before Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn, the five standing in a line and blocking its way to the Ancient Library. Under its bandages, the monster's decrepid-looking lips twisted into an evil grin.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Nikki asked, earning nods from her team. "Then let's do it. **It's Morphin Time!** "

With this order, the team reached to pull their Gaian Crystals free and draw their Crystal Blast Morphers. Seeing this, the Mummy Lightless loosened the bandages around its abdomen and sent them hurling forward, aiming for the team's crystals and morphers.

"NOW!" Nikki shouted as she and Dirk ran forward, all while Drayden and Jowar leaped down from their hiding places in the treetops. Together, the four grabbed hold of the bandages, clutching them hard in their hands and bringing them all together. The Mummy Lightless growled, trying to retake its bandages, but the four dug their feet into the ground hard and gripped the bandages tightly, refusing to let go, all while Patrick, Layla, and Madilyn finished morphing.

" **Crystal Gauntlets!** " Madilyn yelled as she, Layla, and Patrick summoned their golden gauntlets, placing their crystals in the slots atop them.

" _ **Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**_ " the three called, throwing their fists in the air as their crystals grew to fit into the gauntlets, their Zords' emblems emblazoned into them. Golden light then poured out over the Guardians of Wind, Water, and Lightning, morphing the three into their Mineral Modes. Seeing the others about to lose their grip on the bandages, Madilyn raced forward and grabbed hold of them, sending a blast of electricity straight through to the Mummy Lightless and shocking it hard. As this happened, Patrick and Layla threw their hands out, smacking the monster relentlessly with gusts of wind and waves of water hard enough to knock it several yards away and completely untangle its bandages, causing the team's weapons to fall to the ground.

"Alright!" Drayden celebrated as he and the others quickly scooped up their weapons. "Plan worked like a charm!"

"Yeah, and now for Phase 2!" Nikki replied as she, Dirk, and Drayden all set their crystals into their morphers while Jowar gave his staff a twirl. " **Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!** "

Leaping toward the Mummy Lightless, Nikki and the others quickly morphed, striking the monster all at once with their weapons. The Lightless roared in agony as it fell back, pain rushing through its exposed body as dark mist started to seep from the wounds inflicted on it. Dirk then summoned his own Crystal Gauntlet, transforming into the Amber Ranger before slamming the ground hard and causing a pair of stone slabs to grow out of the ground and sandwich the monster hard.

"Looks like you were right," Drayden said, standing by Nikki's side. "Those bandages were all but completely invincible, but underneath them, the Mummy Lightless is about as weak as an ordinary Blot."

The Red Ranger nodded, summoning her Crystal Gauntlet. "Looks like. Now what do you say we end this baddie for good?"

"I'm game!" Drayden replied, inserting all three of his crystals into his Dragon Buster while Nikki transformed into the Ruby Ranger. " **Shadow Break!** "

" **Fire Blast & Slash!**" Nikki called. The two released a pair of energy slashes along with a bullet-shaped blast of fire, the three attacks connecting into a four-pointed star of white hot flames. It blasted the exposed Mummy Lightless so hard that it was sent flying out of the forest before exploding into a massive ball of fire.

* * *

Spine's jaw dropped as he watched the Mummy Lightless go up in flames via the image on the mirror. "H-How did this happen?!"

"Well, I believe it started when someone suggested we send the Lightless to Everbright," Arc retorted, all while Dradarius groaned in irritation. "AND without waiting for more Mecha Blots to back it up."

"JUST MAKE IT GROW ALREADY!" Spine shouted.

With a sigh and a shrug, Arc pulled his bow free from his back and readied a pitch-black arrow, aiming it at the mirror. He then released the arrow, causing it to fly through the mirror, all while saying "Just so you know, this is for my Emperor, not for the sake of saving your hide."

* * *

Back in the forest, the Rangers were celebrating when, from out of nowhere, a black arrow appeared near where the Mummy Lightless was destroyed. The arrow then absorbed the dark mist from the Lightless' destroyed body before striking the ground, causing said mist to reach up into the sky and create a giant-sized version of the monster, its bandages wrapped around it again.

"Time to up the ante!" Nikki ordered as she, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn threw their gauntleted fists skyward while Drayden thrust his sword up. " **We need Gaia Zord power, now!** "

" **Magna Buster, power up!** " Jowar called, raising his staff. A rainbow of energy shot out from the Rangers' crystal-bearing weapons, six of which called forth the Phoenix, Hippogriff, Leviathan, Behemoth, Thunderbird, Dragon, Wolf, and Lion Gaia Zords from their hiding places, while the last hit the roof of the Ancient Library, causing the Magna Buster to rise up from it. Once all the Zords were summoned, the Rangers teleported to their respective cockpits, plugging in their weapons.

" _ **Gaia Zords, combine!**_ " Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn yelled as they plugged their Unity Crystals into the hilts of their swords. The Behemoth Zord then leaped up, its body shifting around to resemble a giant torso. The Leviathan Zord twisted its body around before most of its body lifted up to latch onto the Behemoth Zord, forming a hip and legs. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords cawed as they curled their wings and talons in and connected to the sides of the Behemoth Zord, forming the right and left arms of the giant robot as human-like hands emerged from their beaks. Finally, the Hippogriff Zord perched onto the back, wings spread out, and its head resting atop the robot. The Hippogriff Zord's beak opened wide to reveal a humanoid head inside as the Rangers' cockpits slid back into it, becoming one large cockpit. "Gaia Megazord, power up!"

" **Gaia Zords, combine!** " Drayden shouted. The Dragon Zord twisted its long body around, resembling the legs and torso of a giant robot with the dragon head forming the chest. The Wolf and Lion Zords then tucked their legs in, connecting with the Dragon Zord as arms. Lastly, a robotic head slid out, resembling a dragoon's helmet, as the robot landed on its feet next to its fellow robot. " **Dragoon Megazord, power up!** "

The giant Mummy Lightless bellowed as it charged toward the two Megazords, slamming its arms across the Gaia Megazord's chest and knocking it aside before headbutting the Dragoon Megazord's chest, sending it stumbling backward as sparks flew off it. The Gaia Megazord got back to its feet, however, and attempted to punch it in the face, but doing so did little to faze the monster, who merely grabbed the Megazord by its shoulders, bandages coming loose and entangling the massive machine as the Lightless lifted it up. The bandages then tightened across the Gaia Megazord's body, causing sparks to shoot off in the cockpit.

"Aw man, he's trying to crush us!" Dirk exclaimed as he and the others tried to get free.

"Hang on, guys!" Drayden cried out. The Dragon Zord's head on the chest of the Dragoon Megazord opened to launch dark flames across the hide of the Mummy Lightless, which had been left exposed by using so many bandages to tangle up the Gaia Megazord. The Lightless let out a horrid cry as pain ripped across its back, but was quick to retaliate, swinging its captive robot at the Dragoon Megazord before releasing it, sending the two crashing and falling to the ground. The Magna Buster opened fire with rapid blasts of light, but they bounced harmlessly off the mummy's bandages.

"Dangit, this thing's schooling us!" Mad groaned. "We gotta do something about those bandages!"

Layla's eyes perked up as a thought occurred to her. "...Guys, I think I've got an idea, but we're gonna need a distraction. Jowar, Drayden?"

"We're on it...!" Drayden replied as the Megazords got back up. "Jowar, let's play some interception!"

"I'm on it!" the Wizard Ranger responded, locking onto the Mummy Lightless with the Magna Buster. " **Magna Buster, FULL POWER!** "

The Magna Buster immediately unleashed a giant, continuous burst of golden light across the Mummy Lightless' side, pushing it away a bit. However, it eventually managed to get turned into the blast and dig its feet in before slowly powering through it. Spotting this, Drayden marched the Dragoon Megazord forward, unfolding the Dragon Zord's wings and releasing rapid-fire energy blasts at the monster as well.

"You've got your distraction, guys!" Drayden shouted. "Better hurry with that plan!"

"Right, we need the Gaiamax Staff," Layla replied, looking to the others in the cockpit.

Nikki smirked as she caught on, bringing out the Kitsune Crystal. "I think I get the plan. Let's do it! Kitsune Zord, power up!"

"Unicorn Zord, power up!" Patrick called, getting the Unicorn Crystal.

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla summoned, retrieving the Turtle Crystal. The three then placed the Auxiliary Zords' crystals in their blasters and pulled the triggers, sending out a trio of pink, silver, and aquamarine lights that called the Kitsune, Unicorn, and Turtle Zords from their hiding places. Spotting this, the Mummy Lightless tried peeling a few of its bandages off to grab hold of the Zords, but the Dragoon Megazord quickly got in the way, getting hit in the process.

"Gah!" Drayden groaned as his Megazord fell to the ground. "Hurry up, guys! It's getting free!"

" _ **Auxiliary Zords, combine!**_ " the Rangers in the Gaia Megazord's cockpit ordered. The Kitsune, Turtle, and Unicorn Zords twisted their bodies around to form a large staff of sorts with the Kitsune becoming the shaft, the Unicorn's horn growing into a drill on the top, and the Turtle's shell bringing all the pieces together. " _ **Gaia Megazord, Gaiamax Staff!**_ "

With one mighty grunt, the Mummy Lightless finally shoved its way free of the Magna Buster's assault. It then beared down on the Gaia Megazord, which held the Gaiamax Staff tightly in both hands, the Lightless' bandages starting to unravel.

"Come and get it, creep!" Nikki taunted. Sure enough, the Mummy Lightless threw its bandages forward, entangling the weapon. However, before it could try to pull the Gaiamax Staff free from the Megazord's grip, the drill on it started spinning quickly, unwrapping the mummy far more than intended. It cried out as it realized far too late the plan of the Rangers, grabbing hold of the bandages and trying to retake them, but as it did, the Dragoon Megazord got back up.

" **Black Light Burst!** " Drayden shouted, his Megazord releasing a trio of indigo, white, and black energy orbs from the open jaws of its three smaller Zords. The three orbs combined into one massive sphere and smacked into the Mummy Lightless hard, sending it rolling across the ground as its bandages were pulled free and tossed aside. "Guys, it's all yours!"

" _ **Gaiamax Finish!**_ " the other Rangers called, throwing their fists forward as the Gaia Megazord rushed forward hard. Just as the Mummy Lightless got back to its feet, the robot thrust the drill of the Gaiamax Staff straight through its torso. The monster winced and groaned as the staff was pulled free, energy crackling across its body from the large hole carved into it. Finally, the Mummy Lightless' arms dropped to its sides and it fell backward, the energy unleashing into a massive explosion as dark mist rose up and then dissolved into the air.

"I guess that just about UNwraps this up!" Nikki hollered as the others high-fived and cheered.

* * *

About an hour after the battle, the team were now resting in the main chamber of the library, letting their bodies recover from the beating they'd taken from the Mummy Lightless. Drayden, in particular, was resting in a chair with a small ice pack on his forehead and his arm bandaged up.

"Ugh, too bad THESE bandages aren't invulnerable," Drayden commented, looking to his arm. "Otherwise, I'd wear these into battle all the time."

Patrick chuckled a little, leaning over the table. "Tell me about it. But, at least now we have a good idea as to what we can expect from now on."

"True, but something tells me that it MAY have been the point of this latest battle to get the same sort of intelligence on us," Jowar suggested with a sigh. "In particular, Dradarius knows how limited MY powers are."

"Maybe, but we'll pull through, just like we did today," Nikki said confidently before walking over to Drayden's side. "...Drayden, can I see you for a second?"

Drayden nodded, slowly getting up from his chair and following Nikki to a corner of the room, where she awkwardly started fiddling with her fingers. "Look...I feel like I should correct myself on something I said earlier."

"Oh?" Drayden asked.

"The truth is, asexuality covers a lot of areas, mine included," Nikki replied, rubbing her arm. "It's not that I'm denying that I am, I just...I don't know."

"Worried about coming out?" Drayden inquired, getting a nod. "Tell you what: Until you're comfortable telling the others, we can keep this between us."

"Sounds good," Nikki responded, letting herself smile a little. "...I was also wondering if maybe you wanted to watch a movie or something? Layla's apparently figured out how to access her Netflix account across dimensions for short periods of time."

Drayden returned his leader's smile through a small blush. "I think I'd like that. What movie?"

"Not The Mummy," Nikki said quickly. "I don't wanna see another mummy for a really long time, be it with real, practical effects, or CG."

"...Seriously, though, when your movie requires a CG effect THAT unconvincing, it just makes me wonder why they wrote it in," Drayden grumbled.

"Well, good CG isn't really a necessity ALL the time," Nikki pointed out as the two headed off, passing by Dirk as he walked back from getting an ice pack. "What'd be way worse is a movie about us, but they did weird things like take the visors and mouthpieces out of our helmets."

As they headed off, Dirk simply turned as nonchalantly as he could, facing the readers while pressing an ice pack to his chin. "...Yeah, because NO ONE is THAT stupid."

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ ...So, real quick, before I get into this chapter and what I wanna talk about, I have to admit to something: I goofed. I originally wrote part 2 of Always A Ranger under the belief that Layla was adopted...NOT SO. Madilyn was the one who was adopted, as it was Tina and her parents who died in the fire, not Layla and hers. Chalk that up to spending so much time away from this project that I got that mixed up, I guess, plus the fact that, in most works of fiction, the adoptee is the younger sibling. Still, I'd rather not hide behind that excuse and just admit I messed up. However, I've since gone back and fixed chapter 2. Frankly, I'm just amazed that neither I, my proofreader, nor anyone else reading caught that. I've also decided to go back with said proofreader and re-read Season 1, fixing what mistakes we find.

Regarding this chapter, though, if anyone's wondering, this is part of the reason I upped the rating for Season 2 from K+ (like the original) to T. Ultimately, there were some story ideas I had that I just couldn't do in a K+. Specifically, as it pertains to this chapter, I felt that I couldn't have Nikki talk about her asexual nature in a K+ story. I should note, however, that asexuality is oftentimes considered an umbrella term, and that there are many different asexual sub-identities under that umbrella. I'm not 100% sure which one Nikki specifically would fall under, though, so I used the broader term. But, to clarify, Nikki is the type who doesn't feel a sexual attraction to anyone, does not desire to ever have sex outside of ever wanting to possibly have children, and doesn't enjoy overly physical acts of affection beyond a hug, a cuddle, or a kiss on the cheek. However, that doesn't mean she's against the idea of a relationship. Really, her only issue there was if anyone else who might think of her in a romantic way would be put off by that. And, as I hope I've demonstrated, Drayden is the kind of guy who doesn't get put off by that.

Also, I'm a little sorry if this chapter is a bit on the lengthy side, despite being a mostly filler story, but in addition to furthering the Nikki/Drayden arc, I also wanted to use this chapter to establish a few things early, like Walker and Darkea's new operations, as well as Dradarius' strategy for the next little while. I also may have ended up involving a bit too much of certain characters' more comedic quirks, but gimme a break, I haven't had a really good chance to use them much for a while. And lastly, I decided to reintroduce a lot of the Rangers' weapons, tactics, and Zord configurations for the sake of those who might be reading this without re-reading Season 1, or reading Season 1 at all. Regardless, I'm sorry if I bogged anyone down a bit too much. Or, if you actually liked the size of this one and wouldn't mind more like this, lemme know. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, a new Lightless arrives that's able to revive monsters the team have destroyed before. Can the Rangers somehow manage to defeat an entire horde of Lightless? Ja né!


	5. Urning The Victory

**_DISCLAIMER:_** **I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.**

* * *

The sounds of fighting could be heard all throughout the village as Gnomes and Dwarves fought against Blots. It had been a couple of days, but it was finally decided to retake the Gnome settlement lost during the battle with the Mummy Lightless. Luckily, while a large contingent of Blots had taken up residence in the village, the Dwarves had been talked into providing aid in this battle, thus turning things in their favour. It also helped a bit, though, that the Gnomes had OTHER assistance, especially in dealing with larger threats.

"How many Blob Blots do you count, Layla?" Nikki asked as she flew through the sky in her Phoenix Zord.

"I'd say five headed this way," Layla replied from the cockpit of the Leviathan Zord as the team made their way toward the giant monsters lumbering toward the village.

"Definitely not making this easy for us," Patrick noted as he sat in the Hippogriff Zord, rolling around a spray of acid from the lead blob. "And there's a Lightless backing them, too."

"I guess Dradarius doesn't like the idea of losing ANY ground," Drayden suggested as the Dragon Zord returned fire, wheezing dark flames across the lead Blob Blot.

"Yeah, but it's ONE settlement!" Dirk brought up as the Behemoth Zord stampeded into the blasted Blob Blot, using its horns to flip the monster aside. "Doesn't this seem kinda excessive?"

"He's gonna lose a LOT more once we're through with him!" Madilyn exclaimed, the Thunderbird Zord sending blasts of electricity sparking across a couple of blobs.

"One thing at a time, Mad," Nikki reminded as she pulled out the Kitsune Crystal, the Phoenix Zord releasing fireballs from its open beak and burning one Blob Blot. "Let's bring in the fleet to deal with these!"

" _ **Right!**_ " Layla, Patrick, and Drayden yelled as they brought out their own Auxiliary Zord Crystals.

A moment later, a series of pink, aquamarine, green, black, and white flashes shot out from the Zords, calling forth the Kitsune, Turtle, Unicorn, Lion, and Wolf Zords. Together with the others, the eleven Gaia Zords all opened fire at once, managing to blast two of the giant monsters apart. However, the remaining three rolled up into balls and managed to steamroll past the Leviathan, Wolf, Unicorn, and Lion Zords, knocking them all away. Luckily, the Behemoth Zord was able to dig its hooves in and prevent the lead blob from taking it down.

"Grr, this thing's really putting a strain on my horns!" Dirk growled, trying to force the Blob Blot back as it continued to spin against the Behemoth Zord's horns, until finally, it stopped as it became coated in ice blasted from the fallen Leviathan Zord's jaws. "...Thanks, Layla! I owe you one!"

"No problem, Dirk," Layla replied with a smile as her Zord got back up, the Hippogriff Zord then swooping down to smash the frozen blob apart with its hooves. "Let's finish these guys!"

"Everyone, I've got eyes on the Lightless!" Drayden exclaimed, spotting a giant black monster that looked to be half man, half bull, and had large, curved horns atop its head. "A Bulltaur Lightless, huh? Now why does THAT look familiar?"

"Think you can hold it off while we deal with the last two Blob Blots?" Nikki asked, her Phoenix Zord spinning out of the way of dual acid shots.

"Shouldn't be a problem," Drayden boasted. " **Gaia Zords, combine!** "

Drayden's three Gaia Zords all grouped up into formation as the Wolf and Lion Zords leaped up into the air. The Dragon Zord twisted its long body around to resemble the legs and torso of a giant robot while the dragon head formed the chest. The other two Zords tucked their legs in, connecting as arms. Finally, a robotic head slid out, resembling a dragoon's helmet, as the robot landed on its feet.

" **Dragoon Megazord, power up!** " Drayden sounded, the Dragoon Megazord standing ready against its opponent.

"I'll crush you AND your Zords!" the Bulltaur Lightless roared, charging toward its new opponent.

"Rangers, power up your Unity Crystals!" Nikki ordered, hitting her thumb to her buckle and calling forth a rainbow-coloured crystal.

" _ **Right!**_ " Pat, Layla, Dirk, and Mad shouted back as they called forth their own Unity Crystals, switching out the main crystals in their sabers for them. " _ **Gaia Zords, combine!**_ "

The five Gaia Zords immediately formed up, Behemoth Zord shifting its body around to form the torso of the Megazord. The Leviathan Zord latched onto it, becoming the hip, legs, and feet. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords curled their wings and talons in, forming the right and left arms and hands. Last of all, the Hippogriff Zord landed on the back, spread its wings out, and rested its head atop the robot, its beak opening to form the head. The five Rangers and their cockpits slid back to the head, becoming one bigger cockpit as they called out, " _ **Gaia Megazord, power up!**_ "

" **Griff Gust!** " Patrick shouted, firing a pair of green, swirling energy beams from the Gaia Megazord's eyes, slicing across the twin Blob Blots.

" **Behemazooka**!" Dirk roared as the Behemoth Zord's jaws opened on the chest of the Megazord, letting loose an orange orb of energy that slammed into both blobs hard.

"Auxiliary Zords, finish 'em off!" Nikki yelled.

The Unicorn Zord quickly transformed into the Unicorn Sword, which the Kitsune Zord took hold of between its jaws. The Turtle Zord then spun into a wheel and launched itself into the air, the Kitsune Zord latching onto it with its paws and riding it toward the Blob Blots as a spinning wheel of fire, water, and light. The three Zords crashed into the monsters, knocking them to the ground and causing them to dissolve.

"And once again, that's gettin' er done!" Dirk cheered.

"Uhh, guys, could kinda use some help here!" Drayden cried as, despite grabbing onto the Bulltaur Lightless' horns, the monster was still doing damage to the Dragoon Megazord, shocking it with orange blasts of energy. The monster cackled at this, but, with a loud battle cry, Drayden managed to get the monster up off the ground, over his Megazord's head. "Now!"

" _ **Storm Punch!**_ " the other five Rangers shouted, the Gaia Megazord stretching its wings out and flying straight for the Bulltaur. It delivered a double punch of fire and lightning, sending the monster flying out of the Dragoon Megazord's grip and tumbling across the ground as it roared in pain.

"Unicorn Zord, let's finish this off!" Patrick declared, an effigy of the moon appearing in the sky as the Unicorn Zord stood atop it. The Bulltaur Lightless growled menacingly at it, its horns glowing orange as it prepared to attack, but the Unicorn lit up its own horn, sending rays of silver light out that caused the energy in the Bulltaur's to backfire and electrify itself.

" _ **Gaia Megazord, Unicorn Sword!**_ " the five main Gaia Rangers yelled, the Unicorn Zord leaping off the moon as it faded from view. It then shifted its body around to form a hilt for the Gaia Megazord, its horn extending into a long blade through a beam of silver light.

"Off with its horns, guys!" Nikki called as the team raised their hands, their Megazord raising its blade and creating the outline of a crescent moon.

" _ **Crescent Cutter!**_ " the five shouted, chopping their hands down like swords. Likewise, the Gaia Megazord swung its blade down hard, sending out a silver crescent moon slash that flew straight through the monster's horns. It howled in pain as they fell to the ground, dissolving into black smoke.

"Time to cleanse the dark!" Drayden exclaimed as the Dragon, Wolf, and Lion Zord's jaws opened widely. " **Black Light Burst!** "

At this order, the Dragoon Megazord released a trio of indigo, white, and black energy orbs, which combined into one massive sphere and flew straight for the Bulltaur Lightless, vaporizing its body completely with the combined blast.

"Rangers, good news," Professor Snyder said over the comm. "We've received word from the Dwarves. The remaining Blots are in retreat. We've retaken the town."

"Alright!" Dirk yelled as everyone cheered. "Looks like the Gnomes get to come on home!"

"Professor, tell them to start fortifying the place, and we'll be down right away," Nikki said with a smile as the team removed their helmets. "...Well guys, I think after everything's set up alright, it's time we celebrated a little."

* * *

In the throne room of the Abyssial Fortress, there was a great deal less cheering. Watching his forces be either destroyed or forced into retreat, Dradarius, despite putting up a calm front, was clutching the arm rests of his throne so tightly that they might shatter into pieces. This did not go unnoticed by his Dark Generals. Even Shroud was getting nervous, watching the Emperor growing so angry.

Finally, Arc cleared his throat, looking to calm his ruler. "...Don't worry, my lord. We WILL retake that settlement."

"...No," Dradarius muttered, his eyes starting to glow red. "I want that village burned to the ground before the next sunrise. Then, I want the same done to the closest Dwarven settlement as a message to never stand against us again."

Spine's eye twitched at this, but he remained silent. He knew that the Dwarves had made their choice, and frankly, he wasn't aligned with any of the clans that had aided in this repelling of their forces, so ultimately, obligation to his race could be damned at this point for all he cared.

"That's going to be troublesome," Shroud said as the conversation went on. "Those meddlesome Rangers are probably going to remain in the village for a little while to repel further attacks on the 'poor, helpless Gnomes', and with the limited number of talented Shadowmancers, we probably won't be able to send any more than two Lightless at a time."

Hearing this, Spine's ears perked slightly as an idea occurred to him. "...Wait. What if I told you I could have at LEAST a half-dozen Lightless attacking the village in one night?"

Arc cocked an eyebrow. "How are you planning to pull THAT off?"

Spine grinned deviously. "Leave everything to me. In fact, I'll personally oversee the attack on the settlement and ensure its destruction before tomorrow morning."

"...A bold statement," Arc acknowledged. "Well, if you think it so possible, you won't hear any objections from me."

Dradarius sighed, rubbing his temple. "Very well. I'll entrust you on this, but be warned: Failure here will not be well received."

Spine nodded, knowing full well what that meant. "Of course. I promise you, by tomorrow, the people of Gaia will know what it means to oppose you."

Shroud's eyes narrowed as she smirked knowingly. _One in particular, am I right, Spine? Blood ties are quite the source of turmoil, aren't they?_

* * *

Darkea groaned, entering the cave and falling to her knees. "...I'm back...!"

"Did you get it?" Walker asked, sitting up from the floor.

"No, I went all the way to the Dark Chamber, I came all the way back, completely evading about a thousand Blots, and totally neglected to do the thing I was sent to there for," Darkea replied in as deadpan a tone as she could muster before pulling out a map and handing it to her brother.

"Very funny, sister," Walker muttered, taking the map and unrolling it to check its contents. "...Yes, this is it."

Darkea looked around the cave, spotting a small work bench with some vials of chemicals laying on it. "...I thought we agreed you were supposed to be resting."

"I rest enough as it is," Walker retorted. "I need something to prevent growing too bored, and we could always use the additional Ebony Venom someday down the road."

"Just tell me that you'll take it easy," Darkea insisted, "and that this map is important enough for me to have risked my life for."

Walker rolled his eyes. "Tch. Oh, trust me, sister, this could prove to be the greatest ace in the hole in the coming days. And we may very well NEED it, too."

"What makes you say that?" Darkea inquired, stretching a bit as she got back up. "Aside from our lovely new living conditions, of course. Oh, and for the record, whatever was left of the mess you made of the Dark Chamber isn't there anymore. Hope that map was the only thing of value you had left."

Walker sighed slightly. "...Well, the enchanted fireplace was nice, but I doubt I could've had it taken apart and rebuilt here while keeping the spell placed on it intact. And anyway, I meant because Spine is sending out a new Lightless. One that may have the power to summon several more to its side."

Darkea blinked, baffled. "How is he planning to do that? The only way that could work is if-"

Just as her mind hit that train of thought, Darkea stopped, her blood turning cold. "...Walker? What moon phase are we in?"

"Full," Walker replied grimly. "If he's created a Lightless that can use THAT ability, then clearly they've upped their game a bit."

"Right..." Darkea murmured as her mind went over the implications of this. Suddenly, as she considered them, an idea hit her like a punch from a Megazord. She looked back to Walker, who was looking down at the map. She could still make out a few bruises and cuts on him, and she knew, right then and there, that no matter how hard she tried, he was going to continue to push himself through the pain. Under the circumstances, she only had one option.

"...I'm going back out," Darkea announced. "We're probably low on supplies, especially with your gluttonous appetite."

"Yes, MY appetite is the one that's gluttonous," Walker growled at his sister before looking back to his map. "Just make sure not to let yourself be seen, and stay clear of any Gnome or Dwarven towns, just in case. They'll be attacking the one the Rangers retook this morning, and it looks like any of them could be targets afterward."

Darkea nodded. She started to make her way out, but once she was sure Walker wasn't looking, she discreetly reached over to the work bench and grabbed a vial of Ebony Venom and an empty syringe. She then left the cave, making a mad dash for the Gnome settlement that had been in dispute as of late.

 _Sorry, brother, but if I'm right, then I NEED to be at that settlement right away,_ Darkea thought as she ran faster than she had earlier thought possible with her current amount of energy. _It's what you need now more than whatever that map could possibly lead to..._

* * *

Dirk smiled as he clinked his mug of milk to a male Dwarf's mug of ale, the two downing their drinks as everyone around cheered. It was nighttime, and after moving the Gnomes back into their homes and setting up temporary guard towers at the corners of the settlement, everyone was in the mood for celebration. Various barrels of different beverages were opened up, and everyone was having a blast.

"Ya really should try some of this here ale, laddie!" the Dwarf commented, wiping his face with his beard. "Put some more hair on ya!"

Dirk grinned, finishing his drink. "I've got enough hair, but thanks anyway."

"Have enough hair?!" the Dwarf demanded with a laugh as Dirk turned to leave. "Ya don't even have a beard, for cryin' out loud! Yer ancestor, the original Guardian of Earth, would be disappointed! Legends say that Gorberg was the mightiest of Dwarves, and had a magnificent beard!"

Dirk rolled his eyes, but smiled warmly nonetheless as he glanced back at his companion. "Well, we can't all be legends like Gorberg! And anyway, I think I'll stick to being able to toss Blots by the boatload!"

The Dwarf shook his head and laughed, but raised his mug to the Orange Ranger nonetheless as he left. Soon enough, he found his way to the other Rangers, quickly exchanging high-fives with Patrick and Drayden.

"You did good work today, Dirk," Nikki commented.

"I didn't take out THAT many Blots," Dirk replied, looking a little confused.

Layla snorted a little. "I THINK she meant negotiating with the Dwarves to get them on board with this operation. They DEFINITELY made this a lot easier."

"Well, it might be a bit on the diluted side, but I DO have some Dwarven blood in me," Dirk noted. "So it helps that they recognize me as one of their own."

"Maybe we should give you a title or something?" Madilyn suggested. "Make you our official Ambassador to the Dwarves."

"Hmm, 'Ambassador Dirk' does have a nice ring to it," Drayden noted.

Dirk blushed a bit, trying to hide his embarrassment under a bit of laughter. "Would you guys knock it off? Trust me, I ain't that important."

"Excuse me, Dirk," a female Gnome said as she tugged on his sleeve. "The leader of the Dwarven attack force wanted to have a word with you."

"Oh, right!" Dirk replied with a nod. "I'll talk to you guys later, okay?"

With that, the Guardian of Earth took off toward the house where some Dwarven soldiers were resting, Nikki shaking her head in disbelief as he left. "How is it that he can be so proud of his strength in battle, but when it comes to anything else important he can do for us and for Gaia, he's always gotta downplay his achievements?"

"That's just Dirk," Pat answered with a shrug. "He's always been like that. I get the feeling that all he ever wanted to do was to live the simple life back on the farm. Wouldn't surprise me if he plans to do that once we get back home."

"Does he not get that, when we get back, we're still gonna be part of something so much bigger?" Mad wondered aloud. "We're Power Rangers."

Patrick nodded. "Yeah, and it's not like he's not excited about that, but I don't think he ever saw himself as being or doing anything special. Sure, there'd be stuff like college, his high school wrestling career, and so on, but when all of that was over, I think he was always planning to go back to the simple life."

Madilyn cocked an eyebrow, jabbing an elbow in Patrick's side. "Oh, and you weren't, Captain Humble?"

"I used to," Pat acknowledged. "But now...Now, I wonder if that's even gonna be possible for any of us after this..."

* * *

Professor Snyder watched on as Jowar held the Light Crystal in the Unimax Staff above the swirling nexus of energy contained under the Ancient Library. Within moments, golden light began to rise up from the nexus and funnel into the crystal, causing the old wizard's body to convulse slightly as the power filled him. After a while, he finally pulled the staff back, nearly falling over had the professor not been there to catch him.

"...Thank you, Charles," Jowar panted as his friend helped guide him to a chair. "I think...that should be enough for now."

"Good," Charles replied, looking over the old wizard. "You still haven't told them yet, have you? About what this process has been doing to your body?"

Jowar looked down at his staff, light glimmering from the unicorn horn atop it. "...When I still possessed my powers as a wizard, I could have absorbed five times this amount with little to no negative consequences. But now, with no powers of my own, and in this elderly body, I can only take in so much before the strain is too great."

Charles nodded, his eyes also on where the crystal was being kept. "...Perhaps it might be time to consider giving the crystal to someone else? Someone who can handle the power?"

"It would only be a matter of time before someone else started showing ill effects," Jowar answered. "Even one of the other Rangers would only be able to absorb so much light at once."

Charles let out a short sigh, turning to leave the room, but stopped as Jowar muttered "And my body isn't the only thing being overtaxed by this power. Even I don't know how the Gaian Crystals were made, but I know this: The Light Crystal's creation was imperfect. These power-ups are testing the limits of how much energy it can take. If I don't find a more permanent solution to this problem...I don't know how long the crystal will last."

Professor Snyder froze in the doorway, his blood having turned cold. He knew exactly what Jowar was saying with that statement. Much worse than that, though, he knew that the risk of the crystal's destruction, the loss of his powers, and being left in a fight with no way to defend himself wouldn't stop him. He was going to keep fighting, no matter what, and nothing he could say would stop him, because he knew right then and there that, were the situation reversed, he would do the exact same thing.

* * *

Dirk sighed, his shoulders slumping as the leader of the Dwarven militia finished relaying a message to him. "Well, not exactly what I wanted to hear."

"I know you were hoping to convince the Metallurk to side with us against Dradarius," the Dwarven commander replied, "but I'm afraid concepts like altruism and peace were lost on them a long time ago."

Dirk nodded, looking a bit down, but the Dwarf smiled warmly to the young man, shuffling over to his side. "Still, it means something to the other Dwarven clans that you tried to help us broker this alliance. Mighty Gorberg would be proud of his descendant."

"Well, I think Gorberg would be a little more proud if I'd succeeded," Dirk countered, albeit with a small grin.

"Perhaps," the commander admitted, "but there is an old saying that goes back to the first projects in Mt. Titanium. It has served as the foundation of Dwarven ambition for many millenia. 'We do not dig for gold only when we know for certain we will find any. We dig because we wish to'."

"Not a bad attitude to have," Dirk acknowledged. "Anyway, we should probably turn our attention to upgrading those temporary guard towers into more permanent-"

Before Dirk could finish, a loud scream shot through the air of the settlement, causing the two to rush out of the small house. Dirk was the first on the scene, followed by the commander, and then the other Rangers. The immediately saw what had caused the scream: A large black frog monster pulling itself up and out of the ground. It had scars across its body, and its tongue was hanging out of its mouth, revealing that the tip of it had been sliced off.

"RibbibbibbibbibbIIIIIIT!" the monster shrieked as it slowly got to its feet.

"The Frog Lightless!" Layla cried. "But we destroyed it months ago!"

Suddenly, the ground started to crack apart a few feet behind Madilyn, causing her to jump as a skeletal hand started reaching up. "Uh, it's not alone!"

The crack started to expand slightly as a black skeleton with eggplant-coloured, vein-like lines across its bones crawled out. It had scratched-up shoulder pads and a helmet, was carrying a broken long-sword, and had a faded green line running down the middle of its body. As it finished pulling itself out of the ground, it was followed by a large, black ant, its mandibles having been cut apart.

"Guardian of Wiiiiinnnd...!" the skeleton moaned, its jaw hanging loosely.

"Myyyyy MAAAANNNNDIBLLLLEESSSSS!" the massive ant growled.

Patrick grimaced slightly at the two monsters. "The Skeleton and Ant Lightless too!"

As the three Lightless started to converge on the team, two more hands suddenly shot up out of the ground, pulling their respective bodies out from the dirt. One was a black and dark brown lion-like monster with harsh-looking scorch marks across its chest. The other was a sort of hybrid between a mantis and a sphinx, its wrist scythes cut in half.

"Sphaaaannntiiiiisssss ssssmmaaaaaaaassshhh!" the hybrid bellowed, all while the Werelion behind him roared.

"Sphantis and the Werelion Lightless," Nikki observed. "But how? We destroyed every last one of these!"

"What once lay dead and buried, now lives again..." a low voice declared from behind a nearby house. The figure stepped out into the light of the full moon, revealing a very tall, black and grey Lightless in a flat brimmed hat and a long coat. It carried a shovel in its hands, and a golden urn was tied under the coat. It stared at the team with deadly intent through its pupil-less eyes.

"Some kind of grave-digger?" Madilyn asked, hand on her Morpher.

"Close," Spine answered as he moved out from behind the seven foot tall Lightless. "I give you the Undertaker Lightless. Ohhh, YES!"

"You again!" Dirk yelled. "You're one of Dradarius' Dark Generals!"

Spine leered at Dirk in anger. "My name is Spine, and you'll do well to learn it, if you survive this night!"

With that, the Lightless all charged in, just as Nikki pulled her crystal free. "Let's send them all back to where they came from! **It's Morphin Time!** "

The other Rangers followed suit, inserting their crystals into their Morphers and activating them. They all Morphed instantly, each drawing their weapons and pairing off with a different Lightless, all while a large group of Blots charged into the village to battle the Dwarves and Gnomes. Patrick slashed at the Skeleton Lightless hard with his Gaia Saber, but despite his opponent only having half a long-sword, it was still managing to parry most his attacks, the rest seemingly doing little to its bone body. After a while, though, the Skeleton caught him in the side of the helmet with the flat of its blade and then kicked the Green Ranger into the dirt.

"Guardian of Wind," the Skeleton Lightless hissed as Pat scrambled back to his feet. "You destroyed my sword...I'll make us even, then...!"

Patrick sweat a little under his helmet, but stood firm. "Come and get it!"

Meanwhile, both the Ant and Frog Lightless were looking to attack Layla, powering through blasts from her Crystal Blast Morpher. Madilyn quickly leaped in, using both her and Layla's Gaia Sabers to slash the monsters hard, but she was merely tackled back into the Blue Ranger, the two sisters tumbling across the ground in a heap.

"That could've gone better," Madilyn moaned, getting back up before helping her sister do the same. "Why do so many Lightless get ticked off at YOU, anyway?"

"Must be my charm or something...!" Layla suggested to the Guardian of Lightning as their opponents prepared to charge again.

Not far away, Nikki was trying to fend off the Werelion Lightless alone, firing shots from her Morpher at it. Unfortunately, the swift feline managed to rush around the shots, despite being grazed by a few hot blasts, and got in close enough to slash the Red Ranger across the arm, causing her to drop her blaster. The Werelion then jabbed her all over, almost faster than she could follow, before knocking her away with a pair of claws across the face.

"...Okay, this is getting familiar, and it wasn't much fun the first time..." Nikki groaned, stabbing her Gaia Saber into the ground and using it to try and pull herself up off her back.

"It doesn't matter how hard your friends fight, you know!" Spine yelled as Dirk locked his Gaia Saber with the Undertaker Lightless' shovel, trying to push back on it but finding himself being shoved away a bit. "With the forming of the Undertaker Lightless under the light of the full moon, the others will continue to fight throughout the night, no matter what you try to attack them with!"

"So, all we gotta do is wipe this one out?" Dirk asked. "C'mon, make this a little hard for me, then!"

The Orange Ranger shot orange energy blasts from his Morpher at the Undertaker, but the large monster merely deflected the shots with its shovel. It then raced forward, a bit faster than Dirk was expecting, and grabbed him by the throat tightly, lifting him up off the ground. Watching this, Spine shook his head, walking over to the two combatants.

"So confident," Spine observed, "despite such seemingly infinite humility. Now WHERE have I seen that before? You're practically the Guardian of Earth reborn, despite your far more human heritage."

Dirk groaned, managing to slam both feet into the Lightless' chest and break free. "What would YOU know about Gorberg?"

Spine laughed, finding this hilarious. "What would I know?! What WOULDN'T I know?! Gorberg was my brother!"

"...Brother?!" Dirk demanded, his eyes shooting wide open. "...You mean, not just brother-in-arms, or fellow Dwarf, or-"

Spine groaned, pulling his ax from behind his back. "So much you don't know about your family history, I see..."

As Dirk was processing this, a few feet away, Drayden was battling it out with Sphantis, blocking the hybrid Lightless' blows with the side of his Dragon Buster. Finally, the Indigo Ranger grabbed hold of the hilt of his sword with both hands, jabbed it down into the ground, and then swung himself on it hard, slamming his knee into the side of Sphantis' skull and sending him rolling into the nearby bushes. Drayden pulled the bushes to the sides, looking for his opponent, but to his surprise, there was no sign of him.

"What the-" the Guardian of Darkness muttered, confused, but quickly caught the sight of Dirk getting double-teamed by Spine and the Undertaker Lightless. As such, he pulled his sword free from the ground and ran in to help, shoulder-tackling the Undertaker away and leaving Dirk and Spine to fight ax to ax.

"How can someone like you be related to a hero like Gorberg, anyway?!" Dirk asked, ducking a swing from Spine and trying to catch him with an upward swing, only for the Dark General to back-step out of the way.

"One Dwarf's hero is another's villain!" Spine replied, locking axes with Dirk and growling in his face as the two shoved on each other. "I was the one who found the Behemoth Crystal! I was the one who came up with the original designs for the Guardians' weapons and equipment! If it wasn't for Gorberg getting in the heads of the other Guardians, insisting I was too ambitious, I would've not only been the Guardian of Earth, but I could've become the leader of the Guardians of Gaia!"

"So you betrayed your brother, your people, and your entire world by selling out to Dradarius?!" Dirk roared, headbutting Spine and causing him to back up a few steps. "All to be his lackey?! How is THAT not being too ambitious?!"

"THEY betrayed ME!" Spine insisted, swinging his ax hard and sending a dark wave of energy out that knocked Dirk into a nearby crate. "They forgot what it means to be Dwarves! Ambition, capital, glory! They're all that matters to a TRUE Dwarf! To deny that for causes like selflessly helping others is the deepest, most vile betrayal any Dwarf can make!"

Meanwhile, as the two battled, Drayden inserted all three of his Gaian Crystals in his Dragon Buster, raising it up into the sky as it flashed indigo, white, and black, before bringing it down on the Undertaker Lightless with the cry of " **Shadow Break!** " The monster quickly raised its shovel up to block the attack, but it was cleaved in half as the attack then connected with the Lightless, slashing it hard across the front and knocking it to the ground. However, despite this, the Undertaker was quick to sit up, seemingly unharmed, and got back up with ease.

"...Okay, THAT'S not normal..." the Indigo Ranger observed, backing up slightly.

Dirk groaned, shakily getting back up out of the wrecked crate and looking through his cracked visor as Spine reached a hand out to him. "Come with me, Dirk! Let me show you the side of your family no one has had the sanity nor courage to let you see!"

The Guardian of Earth stared into Spine's eyes, witnessing the emotion on display, and could only find one response: "...If that's sanity, show me to the nearest rubber room, you psycho."

Spine's eyes twitched at this, rage building within him. He raised his ax up, dark energy crackling through it, but before he could bring it down, a series of golden flashes shot out all around, blasting him, the Lightless, and the squads of Blots attacking the village. The source was soon identified as the Wizard Ranger suddenly landed in the middle of town, whacking a series of Blots down with his Unimax Staff.

" _ **Jowar!**_ " the other Rangers exclaimed, watching their mentor go to work on the shadows.

"Sorry I'm late, everyone!" Jowar shouted, unleashing a series of rapid-fire blasts of light on the squads of Blots converging on him. "Had to ensure the Light Crystal was properly charged!"

"Not a problem!" Nikki yelled back, kicking the Werelion Lightless in the face. "Now let's take this up a notch! **Crystal Gauntlets!** "

Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn all raised their right fists, golden gauntlets materializing over their gloves. They quickly inserted their Crystals into the gauntlets, calling out " _ **Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!**_ " The crystals began to shine brilliantly before growing to fit the much larger compartment in the gauntlets, the light emblazoning them with the image of their matching Zords. The five Rangers then threw their fists up as golden light poured out over them, turning the silver on their suits and swords gold, adding golden trim along the top of their boots and golden armbands around their biceps, and changing their suits' main colours to much shinier colours. Lastly, the golden light repaired the cracks in Dirk's visor, causing it to shimmer brightly for a moment.

"Guardian of Fire!" Nikki yelled, slamming a burning hot fist into the Werelion's gut before following that up with a blazing uppercut. "Ruby Ranger!"

"Guardian of Wind!" Patrick called, spinning hard and fast like a tornado and slashing the Skeleton Lightless repeatedly. "Emerald Ranger!"

"Guardian of Water!" Layla cried, creating a vortex of water around the Frog and Ant Lightless. "Sapphire Ranger!"

"Guardian of Lightning!" Madilyn exclaimed, leaping over the vortex and unleashing a massive blast of lightning down on the two monsters inside. "Amethyst Ranger!"

"Guardian of Darkness!" Drayden shouted, blocking the Undertaker Lightless' punches with his sword before slamming him with one knee to the face after another. "Indigo Ranger!"

"Guardian of Light!" Jowar sounded, slamming his staff down and unleashing a wave of light at the nearby Blots, incinerating them. "Wizard Ranger!"

This left Dirk and Spine, the latter of whom was now backing away as the former stepped toward him. Dirk then slammed both fists into the ground, causing a column of earth to spring up underneath Spine and send him flying straight upward. Dirk's fists then became encased in stone as he leaped up after Spine, raising both arms.

"Guardian of Earth!" Dirk roared, bringing his stone-covered fists down on Spine's dark armor. "Amber Ranger!"

The Dark General crashed down into the broken-up slabs beneath him, causing it to shatter and collapse all over him. After a few moments, Spine eventually managed to crawl out from under it, his armor cracked and broken in places. He stood up, only to find all seven of his opponents standing before him. The Undertaker Lightless soon came to his side, facing off with them.

The seven Rangers struck a group pose as a large, silver flash of light shot up all around them, followed by a rainbow-coloured explosion behind them. " _ **Power Rangers, Guardians of Gaia!**_ "

Spine sneered, gripping his ax tightly. "I think it's time we took this battle to the next level! Undertaker Lightless!"

The Undertaker Lightless nodded, reaching under its coat. It pulled out the golden urn and took off the lid, causing black smoke and embers to rise up from it and swirl around the monster. The smoke rose up to the sky as the Lightless grew within it, turning into a giant within seconds as the Rangers backed off. The Undertaker then stomped down on a house and kicked what was stuck around its foot at the team, who dodged out of the way and caused the ruins of the house to collide into another, causing massive damage. Getting back up, the Rangers quickly noticed that Spine had disappeared.

"Darnit, he got away!" Pat cursed.

"We'll worry about him later!" Drayden declared. "We need the Zords!"

"What about the other Lightless attacking the city?!" Layla demanded.

"Spine said they'll disappear once the Undertaker Lightless is destroyed, but we still need to keep them from doing anymore damage!" Dirk explained.

Jowar nodded, stepping away from the others. "Drayden and I will keep the Lightless down here occupied. You five handle the Undertaker Lightless."

"But your powers!" Madilyn exclaimed. "They can't last much longer all the way out here!"

"I'll watch his back," Drayden offered, standing next to the Wizard Ranger. "Just take that thing down."

"...Alright, just be careful you guys," Nikki replied with a hesitant nod before drawing her Gaia Saber and setting the Phoenix Crystal inside. " **We need Gaia Zord power, now!** "

Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn quickly followed suit, five beams of light launching out from their swords and calling out their Gaia Zords from their hiding places. The five Rangers then leaped up to their Zords, being pulled into the cockpits by beams of light.

"Rangers, log on!" Nikki ordered, plugging her weapons into their respective slots.

"Pat here, feeling lucky!" Patrick replied.

"Layla, all systems go!" Layla sounded.

"This is Dirk, ready to bulldoze!" Dirk responded.

"This Undertaker's gonna rest in peace!" Madilyn exclaimed.

"Rangers, let's show this creep some Megazord power!" Nikki yelled, summoning her Unity Crystal.

" _ **You got it!**_ " the Rangers responded as they retrieved their own Unity Crystals, swapping out the crystals in their Gaia Sabers for them. " _ **Gaia Zords, combine!**_ "

The five Gaia Zords quickly formed up, the ones on the ground leaping into the air. Their bodies then began twisting around before latching onto one another, forming their combined giant robot. The five Rangers and their cockpits slid back to the head, becoming one bigger cockpit as they called out " _ **Gaia Megazord, power up!**_ "

The Undertaker Lightless roared as it charged toward the Megazord, locking up with its arms and shoving it back. The Rangers' robot, however, was soon able to break free and hit the monster with a right hook, but the Undertaker almost immediately followed that with its own punch to the face, followed by a few quick jabs to the gut and chest. It then threw its hat off, the brim becoming sharp as it slashed across the Gaia Megazord, sending a spray of sparks out.

"Aw man, this thing packs a wallop!" Madilyn groaned as the team tried to get control again.

"We've gotta hit it hard!" Nikki shouted. "Patrick, time to call for some back-up!"

"You got it, boss!" Patrick replied, plugging a silver crystal into his blaster. " **Unicorn Zord, power up!** "

A flash of silver light later, and the Unicorn Zord came charging down from the full moon. It then contorted its body around to form a sword for the Megazord, which it caught in its hand as the Rangers yelled " _ **Gaia Megazord, Unicorn Sword!**_ " The Megazord then raised its sword up, forming the outline of a crescent moon, before bringing it down hard on the Undertaker Lightless, only for the monster to catch the blade in its hand, much to the shock of the Gaia Rangers. It then grabbed hold of the Megazord by the throat with the other hand, lifted it up off the ground, and then slammed it down on its back.

"This is going bad, guys!" Layla cried.

"Oh yeah?" Dirk snarked. "Hadn't noticed. Thanks for the update."

Just as he tried to get the Megazord back to its feet, Dirk looked up at the Undertaker Lightless, catching the sight of a golden glimmer under its coat. "...Wait a minute! The urn! That Lightless has been keeping it outta sight most of the fight, and it used it earlier to grow!"

Layla blinked in surprise, taking a quick scan of the urn. "I'm picking up massive energy coming off that thing! It's spreading throughout the Undertaker Lightless' whole body! That's gotta be the source of its power!"

"Then we've gotta take it out!" Nikki surmised, the team making the Megazord roll out of the way as the Undertaker Lightless looked to punch it in the head, instead creating a small crater in the ground.

Meanwhile, back in the town, Drayden was listening in on the team's conversation as he blocked a slash from the Skeleton Lightless with his sword, then shoved it hard back into Frog Lightless, knocking the two to the ground. "Sounds like the guys could use a little back-up!"

"Call in your Auxiliary Zords!" Jowar advised, slamming his staff into the ground and spinning around it, kicking both the Ant and Werelion Lightless in the chest. "They should be able to assist!"

"On it!" the Indigo Ranger replied, plugging his Wolf and Lion Crystals into the Dragon Buster before raising it skyward. " **Wolf Zord, Lion Zord, power up!** "

A pair of white and black flashes shot out from the Dragon Buster, which raced through the sky into a patch of dark fog. From it, the Wolf and Lion Zords emerged, roaring as they dashed for the battleground. The two Zords then leaped up and slashed at the Undertaker Lightless' coat, freeing the urn from it and sending it sailing through the air.

"Now's our chance!" Nikki shouted, the Megazord still down. "Switch arms!"

The Phoenix and Thunderbird cawed loudly as they detached from the Gaia Megazord, making room for the Wolf and Lion Zords to take their places. The Megazord then rolled onto its back, the Wolf, Lion, and Behemoth Zords' jaws opening wide to reveal white, black, and orange orbs of energy charging up inside their mouths.

" _ **Triplex Roar!**_ " the Rangers yelled, launching the trio of energy orbs at the urn and blasting it apart. Ashes fell from where the urn once was as the Undertaker Lightless groaned in pain, steam rising from its body as every attack inflicted upon it previously were now finally taking the form of wounds. The other Lightless on the ground likewise all fell to the ground, their bodies evaporating.

"Looks like that did it," Jowar noted before falling to a knee, Drayden quickly to his side.

"Jowar, are you alright?!" the Guardian of Darkness asked, hand on his mentor's shoulder.

"I'm...alright," the Wizard Ranger replied. "I just need to teleport back to the library. You help the others finish this."

"Alright," Drayden said, backing off as Jowar teleported away and then placing his Dragon Crystal in his sword. " **I need Dragon Zord power!** "

The Dragon Buster released a blast of indigo light far away into a dense fog, the Dragon Zord sailing out with an earth-shaking roar. Drayden then leaped up and into the Zord's cockpit, inserting his sword into the controls. Seeing the Dragon Zord flying into action, the other Rangers managed to get the Gaia Megazord back onto its feet.

"Alright, guys, let's send this creep to an early grave!" Drayden suggested.

" ** _Super Unity Crystals!_** " the six Rangers yelled, bringing out crystals with their six colours all pointed inward to a golden light. " _ **Gaia Zords, combine!**_ "

The Lion and Wolf Zords immediately detached from the Gaia Megazord, replaced by the Thunderbird and Phoenix Zords. The Gaia Megazord's head folded back as the Dragon Zord's body split, spreading out to its sides as it landed on and combined with the Gaia Megazord, forming massive shoulder-pads, claw gauntlets, and expanded hybrid wings. The Dragon Zord's jaws opened to form a new head for the Megazord as Drayden's cockpit then slid down to join the others', the larger cockpit now in the robot's new head.

" _ **Dragonforce Megazord, power up!**_ " the Rangers called. The Undertaker Lightless groaned as it ran at them, looking to attack despite the number of injuries across its body. The Behemoth Zord's jaws then opened wide, a powerful, rainbow-coloured ball of flame gathering energy.

" _ **Multi-mental Meteor!**_ " the team shouted, releasing the concentrated blast from the Behemoth Zord's mouth. It hit the Undertaker Lightless in the chest hard, actually burning a hole straight through it. The Undertaker let out one last, long groan as it slowly fell forward, exploding as it hit the ground. Dark mist rose up from where its body once stood, entering the skies above and evaporating in the moon's light.

"Yeah, that takes care of all of them!" Mad proclaimed.

"Wait, aren't we missing one?" Drayden asked, thinking back about all the Lightless that were brought back for the battle. "...What happened to Sphantis?"

* * *

A few miles away from the Gnome settlement, Sphantis howled as steam rose from his body and Darkea stuck a needle into his arm, filling his body with Ebony Venom. "Hold still! You're worse than your creator, I swear!"

"Sphantis hate needles!" Sphantis roared in reply, the pain subsiding after a while and the steam stopping. "...What happen?"

"I pumped you full of Ebony Venom," Darkea explained. "That should keep your body from vanishing like the other destroyed Lightless that were raised. You're probably gonna need more shots in the future, though."

"...Why?" Sphantis asked as Darkea let go of his arm, his wrist scythes suddenly regrowing.

"To keep you from disappearing, you big wuss," Darkea answered.

Sphantis shook his head. "No. Why bring Sphantis back? Why save Sphantis?"

"...Well, because, we could always use some extra muscle and-" Darkea started to say before realizing that not even Sphantis, with his limited intelligence, was going to believe that. As such, she sighed, let her shoulders drop a little, and explained "...Because Walker needs help. He's in bad shape, and I don't just mean his body. And...and I don't know if I can do this alone."

Sphantis tilted his head, trying to understand as Darkea looked him in the eyes. "...Will you help me?"

The hybrid Lightless thought about this for a moment before slapping his chest. "Walker give Sphantis life. Darkea bring Sphantis back to life. Sphantis help Walker and Darkea."

"You should know, Walker and I are on the run from my father, and helping us means that you'll be making an enemy of him and his army," Darkea pointed out.

"Then Sphantis crush army of darkness!" Sphantis proclaimed, making a fist as the moonlight glimmered across his wrist scythe.

Darkea smiled, patting Sphantis on the chest. "Thank you. Now, let's get back before brother finds out I stole some Ebony Venom and has a hissy fit."

* * *

Nikki let out a low moan as she leaned back into her chair in the main chamber the morning after the battle. "...So, the settlement?"

"I could show you a list of all the damage done to the village, but suffice to say, it's a lot," Jowar answered as he, Madilyn, Drayden, Professor Snyder, and Layla took seats as well. "The good news is, no one was seriously hurt, and a contingent of Dwarves will be deployed there to fend off attacks in the event none of us are available to assist."

"The bad news is, there's been reports of Blot movements near the edge of Dwarven city limits," Charles added. "Clearly, they want them on edge for helping the Gnomes."

Nikki nodded, leaning her head back and staring up at the ceiling. "Not exactly much of a win, huh?"

"The important thing is that we saved lives," Drayden replied. "We'll make sure Dradarius pays for this another day. For now, though, everybody lives."

"I just can't believe that creep Spine would pull something like this," Layla practically growled, folding her arms. "Or that he's somehow related to Dirk of all people."

Madilyn nodded, patting her sister on the shoulder. "...Come to think of it, where IS Dirk? And Patrick for that matter?"

* * *

Patrick sighed, walking along the roof of the Ancient Library and finding Dirk sitting on a ledge. "...Hey man, what's up?"

Dirk looked back, a bit surprised, but shook his head. "Oh, nothing, just...just thinking is all."

"About Spine?" Pat inquired, causing Dirk to look away. "That really bothers you, doesn't it?"

"I always only ever knew my family as good folk," Dirk explained. "Not a single bad apple in the bunch. Always doing what we could to help people in need. Heck, my great-great-grandparents even opposed the use of slave labour back in a time when that was EVERYWHERE, and instead offered free shelter to black people, no questions asked!"

"And those are all great things to have as part of your family history," Pat pointed out. "Things to be proud of."

"But now it turns out that not only is there a SERIOUSLY rotten apple in the bunch, but he's my enemy," Dirk went on. "His blood is my blood. I guess I'm just wondering what that means."

"Why does it have to mean anything?" Patrick asked, putting a hand on the Guardian of Earth's shoulder. "It doesn't change you, or the rest of your family. It just means ONE of you made a bad call. Spine's sins are not yours."

Dirk sighed, easing off the ledge. "...Maybe not. But I think they might be my responsibility. Mine especially. My ancestor tried so hard to either save Spine or stop him, and he couldn't. Now I'M the Orange Ranger. I have to finish what he started."

"Even if that's true, you don't have to do it alone," Pat said. "We're a team. We've got your back."

Dirk nodded, smiling a little. "Yeah, I know. Let's get back inside. I don't want anyone to be worried over me."

"Good idea," Patrick said, leading the way. "...Oh, and stop being so humble about your accomplishments, too. You're allowed to take some credit."

"Oh, excuse me?!" Dirk scoffed. "WHO is humble? Do I NEED to get my 'IRONY!' sign back out?"

"Why do you even HAVE that?" Pat asked as they headed back in, laughing along with his friend. "What are you, MISTER Meta Humour?"

"...I don't go looking for hilarity because I KNOW I'll find it, Pat," Dirk explained, closing the door behind them. "Only because I hope to."

* * *

 _ **AUTHOR'S NOTES:**_ ...Well, not hearing any complaints about the length of these chapters (except from my proofreader, lol), so I guess you can expect more this size from here on out. In fact, I'm honestly a little tempted to go back and add more to the previous chapters. Maybe as a sort of director's cut that further establishes certain characters, their traits, back-stories, and even adds further allusions to events that happened later.

Regardless, though, in keeping with the themes of family present in GoG, I decided when I added Spine to the mix to have him be both a rival and a relative to Dirk. After all, Dirk is the one who is most proud of his family and where he comes from, so to throw a big old monkey wrench into that mindset seemed like a good way to get some drama and character development out of him so that he's not just the meta guy. Don't get me wrong, I love writing him as Mister Meta Humour, but doing so would get kinda one-note after a while, and I don't want any of my main characters to come off as one-note. I want them to be varied.

Speaking of meta humour, though, you may have noticed something familiar about the opening fight scene: I reused and tweaked the Megazord battle from the Super Sentai tribute chapter back in Season 1. The reason is...well, just that, meta humour. See, with rare exception over the years, the Megazord battles in Power Rangers are ALWAYS Sentai footage. I WAS thinking of using the pre-Megazord battle with the Bulltaur as well, but I opted to just use the Megazord battle to save time.

I also felt like revealing more details on the original Guardians of Gaia with this chapter. Specifically, that the Guardian of Earth was a Dwarf named Gorberg, whose brother was originally the one meant for the role, but that he recognized the ambition within Spine might lead to greed and treachery if he took on the position, so he tried to spare him that...fat load of good it did him. We'll get more into what the other Guardians were like, as well as a LOT more details on what exactly happened thousands of years ago, later on.

And yeah, in case no one noticed, the Undertaker Lightless is loosely based off the wrestling persona of Mark Calaway, otherwise none as The Undertaker. I WAS gonna go with a Grim Reaper or a Zombie, but then I thought about how The Undertaker is also a feared figure with ties to the paranormal, but one that is respected for his legacy and what he's capable of. For the uninitiated, The Undertaker is a 7-time World Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment, and managed to win 21 matches at Wrestlemania before losing to Brock Lesnar, nowadays sporting a win/loss record of 23-1 at the event. His dark and menacing appearance, along with his penchant for playing mind games and utilizing seemingly supernatural forces have earned him nicknames such as The Prince of Darkness, The Reaper of Lost Souls, and The Weaver of Nightmares... ... ...Oh yeah, and he used to drive a motorcycle to the ring for a while to Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit. He MAY have been having a mid-life crisis, I'm not sure. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, a battle with a monster leaves Layla feeling sick. It's up to Faye to nurse her back to health, as she also tells a tale about the Gaian Crystals to pass the time. Ja né!


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